The Dutch cabinet is facing mounting pressure from an alliance of three right-wing parties that have presented a series of demands regarding the country’s tax and policy plans. The alliance, comprising the far-right JA21, the orthodox Protestant SGP, and the farmer-focused BBB, has coordinated its demands on asylum policy, nitrogen regulations, and abortion. In exchange for their support of the government’s broader tax plan, the parties want concessions in these areas.
The alliance’s demands include abandoning proposed tax increases intended to fund NATO defense spending, canceling a planned VAT increase on flowers, and raising profit exemptions for small businesses. Specifically, BBB is focused on altering nitrogen policy, JA21 is calling for stricter asylum measures, and the SGP seeks restrictions on late-term abortions, home abortions, and surrogacy.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s cabinet now faces the challenge of balancing these demands with existing policies and maintaining support across the political spectrum. Opposition parties are urging the coalition to decide whether to align with left-wing groups such as PRO and Volt or rely more heavily on the right-wing parties. Within the governing coalition, D66 and CDA lean towards cooperation with left-wing parties, while VVD is more open to working with the right.
Some of the alliance’s demands conflict with current government positions. CDA asylum minister Bart van den Brink has stated an inability to terminate the asylum seeker distribution law, which mandates municipal housing for asylum seekers. Similarly, removing defense-related tax measures is sensitive for the CDA, and the SGP’s stance on abortion and surrogacy clashes with D66’s policies.
The nitrogen policy is another contentious issue, as the government’s existing measures are crucial for permit approval, and PRO has warned that significant changes could result in their withdrawal of support. The cabinet must consider if it can meet the alliance’s demands without undermining its policies and broader parliamentary backing.