Prime minister Mark Rutte will answer his parliamentary critics on Wednesday during the second day of debate on the new government’s plans.
On Tuesday, opposition party leaders attacked the new minority government’s failure to introduce jobs and housing market reforms, and criticised the influence of anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders.
Rutte heads a minority administration with the Christian Democrats. The anti-Islam PVV has signed a deal to partner the government on some issues, particularly immigration.
Dual nationality
In particular, Rutte is expected to address the hot potato of dual nationality. A junior minister in the new cabinet holds both Dutch and Swedish nationality while a VVD MP is Dutch and British.
Wilders says the minister should give up her Swedish passport but Rutte has already said he sees no problem with the situation. According to Nos tv, Wilders will come up with a motion of no confidence in the government if the minister does not comply.
Reforms
During Tuesday´s debate, Wilders also claimed credit for persuading the new government not to overhaul the social security system. Both the VVD and CDA wanted to cut unemployment benefits and reform redundancy law.
‘We are very proud of that,’ Wilders said. The ‘fantastic’ results which the PVV delivered during the coalition talks will deliver his party even more supporters, Wilders said.
But opposition MPs accused the VVD and CDA of failing to deliver election promises on reform.
Real leaderWilders is ‘the real leader… the kidnapper,’ D66 leader Alexander Pechtold said.
And he accused the CDA of ´political hypocrisy´ for handing itself over to the PVV.
Labour leader Job Cohen warned Rutte should not assume Labour would back the government when PVV support was lacking.
‘We will not be used to plaster over the cracks in the coalition,’ Cohen said during the debate. The PVV is calling the shots in the new cabinet, the Labour leader said. ‘Wilders’ will is law.’
Disagreements
Femke Halsema, leader of the left wing greens GroenLinks, asked Wilders to say which parts of the coalition agreement he disagreed with.
Wilders refused. ‘You will have to wait for that,’ he was quoted as saying.
Dutch News
