Netherlands: new government seeks to “control” social costs

Featured image of the article Netherlands: new government seeks to “control” social costs
In his government policy statement to Parliament on 25 February, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced several measures designed to "control" social costs. Notably, he proposed raising the retirement age and reducing unemployment benefits. On Monday 2 March, trade unions indicated they were prepared to launch national strikes if the executive did not revise its plans.
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On 25 February, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten delivered his general policy speech to the House of Representatives. According to the head of the executive, the government programme—based on the 2026-2030 coalition agreement—aims to address “structural challenges of ageing, labour shortages, and increasing pressure on social security,” which “demand ambitious choices”. “We must control healthcare costs and those related to the ageing population (…)

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