Liberal Jetten becomes the youngest prime minister of the Netherlands with a promise to raise defense spending to 5%

“In times of political turbulence, you were the calm center of the Cabinet. The stronger the headwind, the harder you kept pedaling,” thanked the leader of the socioliberal Democrats 66 (D66), who will henceforth lead a minority Government that will have the Christian Democratic Call (CDA) of Henri Bontenbal and the liberal-conservatives of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of Dylan Green.

The heir of the former prime minister Mark Rutte At the head of the VVD, she made her debut this Monday as Minister of Defense, and her fellow ranks Eelco Heinen revalidated the Finance portfolio. The MEP Tom Berendsenfrom the CDA quota, was assumed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The three posed in front of the cameras on the steps of the Huis ten Bosch palace, inside which they took the oath of office in the presence of the king. William Alexander.

Jetten’s coalition does not have a majority in Parliament. Between the three parties they only have 66 of the 150 seats in the Lower House. They also do not reach the magic number in the Senate. However, the leader of D66 and his partners opted for the formula of governing as a minority, unusual in the fifth largest economy in the euro zone, in the face of the atomization of Parliament, which houses sixteen different formations.

Stability is still not guaranteed in the Netherlands, which has seen three governments in the last five years. On this occasion, Jetten and his partners will have to negotiate to move forward with each point on their agenda. The new prime minister starts with the advantage of not having “an ego that gets in his way,” he says Sigrid Kaagformer leader of D66.

“In addition, after the chaotic previous Government, I do not think that the opposition parties have much desire to blow up this minority coalition soon: the voters would not see it favorably,” he underlines in conversation with this newspaper. Stijn van KesselProfessor of Comparative Politics at Queen Mary University of London. “But it could still be difficult to find specific majorities in Parliament.”

Consensus will be necessary because the new coalition intends to raise defense spending from the current 2% to 5% of GDP, as demanded by NATO allies, led by Rutte and spurred by Donald Trump. The Jetten Government intends to reach the threshold through the so-called “freedom tax”, which will consist of a surcharge on income tax, according to public radio and television NOS.

The coalition is not afraid to cut other items such as Health or Welfare, a risky step that, however, it promises to do “with precision and care,” in the words of Sophie Hermans y Mirjam Strongthe ministers of the branch.

“The Government follows a clearly right-wing economic line, so the liberal VVD has negotiated well,” points out the aforementioned Van Kessel in this sense. Among the objectives of the new coalition are also those of limiting unemployment benefits, increasing individual contributions to the health system or raising the retirement age.

Jetten’s austerity plans sparked early criticism from the left. “Ordinary people will pay hundreds of euros more, while nothing extra is asked of the richest. This has to change,” the leader of GroenLinks wrote on social networks. Jesse Clavera close friend of the new prime minister.

In the November legislative elections, Jetten narrowly won against the extreme right of Geert Wilders thanks to a campaign with a markedly optimistic tone – under the slogan It is possibletranslated as Yes we can—, without avoiding sensitive issues for center or center-left parties, such as asylum or immigration, the banner of Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV). On this matter, however, Jetten has promised to take a tough stance.

It is true that the new government coalition did not get off to a good start. The candidate to occupy the Secretary of State for Finance of Jetten’s D66 was forced to resign last week after it came to light that she had falsified her educational background on her resume and on her LinkedIn profile. The first stain on the record.