Dutch coalition leaders to hold separate talks over tax plan

Dutch coalition leaders are set to hold separate talks with opposition parties over the government’s tax plan, as divisions within the coalition threaten its passage through the Senate.

The discussions are expected to take place over the coming days, according to political insiders cited by ANP. The coalition is split over whether to raise taxes on wealth to secure support for the package.

Opposition parties PRO and Volt proposed raising wealth taxes and using the €1.5 billion raised to cut taxes on work. The VVD rejected the proposal, while D66 and the CDA have left open talks about its scale.

Without an agreement with opposition parties, the tax plan risks being voted down in the Senate. In the lower house, the Christian Union, 50PLUS and the Markuszower Group have already pledged support for the plan.

Right-wing opposition parties JA21, the SGP and the BBB are seeking commitments on asylum, medical-ethical issues and nitrogen policy. The nitrogen issue is particularly difficult for the government and coalition: D66, the VVD and the CDA want their nitrogen plan to allow permits to be issued again quickly, while the BBB’s demands could slow that process.

The coalition parties have also left open the possibility of voting differently from one another on opposition proposals. It remains unclear what that could mean for the final votes on the full tax package.