5 parties discuss budget

On Monday, governing parties the VVD and PvdA will be joined at the table with minister of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem by friendly opposition parties D66, ChristenUnie and the SGP, where they will discuss next year's budget. The VVD and PvdA need these other parties' support because they do not hold a majority in parliament. Various other deals have been struck with these parties, which makes the cabinet eager to work with them. Last October, these five parties also allocated the budget that the cabinet submitted for Prinsjesdag. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Jeroen Dijsselbloem say there is very little room for movement, which will make it difficult to grant the opposition's wish-list, running into the billions. The punishability of illegality has been taken off the table, at the wish of the PvdA, in exchange for which, the VVD got a tax decrease for incomes between €40,000 and €110,000. ChristenUnie and the SGP also want lower charges for lower incomes as well as more money for care and Defense and Security. D66 wants lower charges for everyone, and wants to create that possibility by cutting allowances.