The new Dutch Prime Minister, Rob Jetten, has admitted that his government’s current strategy to tackle poverty needs improvement. His comments follow a critical analysis by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), which suggests that the policies of the D66, VVD, and CDA coalition may actually increase poverty levels.
Speaking during a televised presentation of the new cabinet, Jetten stated that the government’s performance “will have to be better than what the calculations currently show.” He expressed confidence that the coalition would find a solution without internal conflict, noting that no party in the government wishes to see poverty rise.
The CPB’s projections indicate that if policies remain unchanged, 2.5 per cent of the Dutch population would be living in poverty by 2030. However, under the coalition’s current proposals, that figure is expected to rise to 2.7 per cent. Experts attribute this increase to a combination of higher labour taxes, reduced welfare benefits, and rising healthcare costs.
The forecast has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Their support is vital for the Jetten cabinet, which operates as a minority government and lacks a majority in both the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) and the Senate (Eerste Kamer). To pass its budget and key legislation, the coalition will need to negotiate with the same opposition groups currently voicing concerns over these figures.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
