The most revolutionary thing one can do is always to proclaim loudly what is happening (Rosa Luxemburg)
Last Friday, we, too, followed the presentation of the coalition agreement by the new government of liberals and Christian Democrats in the Netherlands. However, earlier that day, when the informateur’s report was presented, the upcoming term of office had actually already been subtly introduced.
Outgoing informateur Letschert offered the future government some lighthearted but telling advice: go ahead and buy a good coffee maker. Because we’ll have to invite people over for coffee. Support from outside the cabinet will be necessary—both in parliament and from civil society organizations, according to Letschert.
Now that the initial dust has settled, analyses and positions from that same civil society are beginning to emerge.
At S&L, we are committed to pleased with the clear break from the far-right regime of recent years and the constructive stance of the new cabinet . At the same time, we note that in several areas that are close to our hearts there will be more severe blows flaws: The former climate minister is not presenting a just climate policy; instead, he is proposing a persistently harsh and repressive asylum and migration policy, showing little solidarity with the Global South, and—above all—significantly dismantling social security for the working class.
Rock-hard cutting back on and interfering with health care, social security, and the rights of the most vulnerable people . Budget cuts so that more money can be allocated to defense, law enforcement, aviation, and (admittedly) in small amounts, to education and international cooperation.
And we are not alone in that assessment.
The tone is harsh toward people seeking protection, who wait for years in reception centers and live in fear and uncertainty about the safety of their families, with whom they cannot be reunited. (Frank Candel—chairman of VluchtelingenWerk)
The 257 million euros that the government will allocate starting in 2027 structural additional The funds allocated for international cooperation are "a step forward," says the development organization Care Nederland. But the doesn't matter against the previous government's structural budget cuts of 2.4 billion euros.
The announced budget cuts to social security are unacceptable. This is causing financial hardship for a large number of households. (Dick Koerselman - FNV)
The Woonbond calls the plans insufficient to curb the housing crisis; the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals notes that animal welfare is being overlooked; and Greenpeace points out, in a broader sense, that the climate and nature are once again getting the short end of the stick. There are concerns from the healthcare sector; a spokesperson for the National Client Council said, “Those with lower incomes—including people who work—are being hit the hardest.”
Who is very satisfied with the coalition agreement? The people who stand to benefit from a new airport (in the midst of the climate crisis) and who benefit from the mortgage interest deduction (a subsidy for (the wealthiest) homeowners). Employer organizations and the business community say they are satisfied; they see their euphemistically termed “reduction in regulatory burden” being granted. That “regulatory burden” is a code word for the laws and policies that civil society is fighting so hard for, since that “regulatory burden” often consists of the very rules that protect the vulnerable, the poor, nature, animals, children, the environment, and people elsewhere in the world.
In areas where I myself have an above-average interest—such as digital affairs, open government, anti-fascism, and the protection of the democratic rule of law—there have been some modest successes. The team at the NGO Open State Foundation is even celebrating, as a lobbying registry is on the way and the Open Government Act remains in effect. Judges are becoming more independent thanks to a separation between the judicial and political branches.
Still, these kinds of measures feel like treating the symptoms rather than the cause. Sander Heijne of *Vrij Nederland* put it quite clearly in an editorial: “Such measures cannot be implemented quickly enough. But they won’t stop the populist smoldering fire in our country. The financial section of the coalition agreement pours too much fuel on the fire for that.”
As a consulting firm committed to social change, we believe it is important not to leave politics (solely) to politicians. We believe that society can be shaped, but only if citizens organize themselves and work together to influence those in power.
That is also what we will be doing in the Netherlands in the coming months and years, together with the organizations we work for. The most positive aspect of this coalition agreement? It’s a sound, moderate policy that civil society can now improve upon. An outstretched hand—one for which we must be grateful, even if we grumble and complain about it. Because we’re not there yet.
Let's get started, indeed!
