Dassen accuses VVD of ‘blackmail’ ahead of Dutch coalition crisis talks

Volt leader Laurens Dassen has urged Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal not to give in to what he called “blackmail” by the VVD, as coalition leaders prepare to meet amid a dispute over tax policy and the government’s future.

The leaders are due to meet on Saturday at De Zwaluwenberg estate. Dassen said the talks would be pointless if they began from the VVD’s “blackmail demands”. He made the remarks at Volt’s party congress in Utrecht.

The dispute follows a deal between D66, the CDA and opposition parties PRO and Volt to amend the tax plan by €1 billion in favour of working people. The VVD reacted angrily and demanded a “fundamental reset” of the coalition. On Friday, VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz called the minority government a “failed experiment”, called for a substantive correction and said the parties should consider bringing another right-wing party into the government.

Dassen said the VVD itself needed a fundamental reset and accused it of making political blackmail a trademark. “As long as the VVD is not prepared to compromise, there is only one conclusion: it is impossible to work with this VVD,” he said.