Markuszower signals openness to Dutch tax plan but stops short of backing it

Gidi Markuszower says he can see little reason to oppose the Dutch government’s revised tax plan, but has not yet said whether his seven-member parliamentary group will vote for it. Its support could prove decisive for a majority in the House of Representatives.

The former PVV politician said the revised package had removed “a lot of the pain” and was fairer to people who work or have worked. He said the government had offered him substantial concessions, including a tougher approach to disruptive asylum seekers and police riot-control units that could be deployed rapidly.

Markuszower said he was not completely satisfied and wanted a “radically different course” for the Netherlands. The cabinet is still seeking support from other parties: even if his group backs the plan, it has no seats in the Senate, where the government would need support from elsewhere.

The prospect of talks with Markuszower has surprised some opposition parties. In May, the House, including coalition parties, backed a motion by PRO leader Jesse Klaver calling for no agreements with politicians who call for violence against refugees. Shortly before that vote, Markuszower had said in an interview that the government should use “maximum force” to prevent Palestinian refugees from arriving. He later described that wording as “inappropriate”.