Jetten Convenes Coalition Chiefs After Tax Vote Fracture
A surprise alliance with opposition parties angered the business wing of the government, forcing the prime minister to skip a European summit to address the fallout.
By Nikolai Morales ·
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten called a crisis meeting Friday morning with the leaders of his two coalition partners. The summit aims to repair a fractured alliance after a contentious vote on tax legislation left the three-party minority government deeply divided.
The conflict erupted on Thursday night when lawmakers from Jetten’s centrist D66 party and the center-right Christian Democrats agreed to amendments from two center-left opposition groups. This move allowed a tax package to pass parliament in a tight vote following a day of debate. Jesse Klaver, leader of the PRO party, described part of the agreement as a millionaire’s tax, a characterization that inflamed the government’s third partner.
The People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, is a right-wing, pro-business faction within the cabinet. Its lawmakers voted against the plan, and parliamentary leader Ruben Brekelmans told reporters that the shift was disconcerting. He stated that he did not expect the CDA and D66 to take such a huge turn to the left, calling the outcome bad for the economy, business, and the country as a whole.
Jetten skipped a European leaders’ summit in Ireland to attend the parliamentary debate. The Dutch premier, who is the nation’s youngest, took office with a pledge to foster consensus in a fragmented political system. However, the administration has struggled to manage infighting less than nine months into its four-year term.
The Netherlands has held four general elections in the last decade, a cycle of instability that has eroded public trust in lawmakers. Jetten told members of parliament Thursday that the coalition must make a very serious fresh start to function better together. He said he was seeking a reboot to prevent the government from collapsing.
After the vote, Jetten announced he would meet with his two vice premiers, one from the CDA and one from the VVD. He noted that no one is waiting for endless political squabbling or new elections, and the group must find a way forward together.
