Paternotte backs calls to reset Dutch coalition cooperation

D66 parliamentary leader Jan Paternotte has backed calls for fresh agreements on how the Dutch coalition parties work together, after a dispute over a tax-plan compromise exposed tensions between them.

“I think there is every reason to do so, based on what we have seen recently,” Paternotte said during an emergency debate on the tax plan. He agreed with VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz, who had called for a “fundamental reset” in the coalition’s cooperation.

D66 and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) reached a compromise on Wednesday with opposition parties PRO and Volt. The proposal would shift €1bn in tax burdens from labour to wealth. The VVD said it had been taken by surprise; Paternotte disputed that account.

He acknowledged that discussions within the coalition over the budget and tax plan had “really not always gone smoothly” and said the parties had a responsibility to find a way to improve their working relationship.

The disagreement follows an earlier deal on a proposed wealth tax, which Paternotte said did not amount to a coalition crisis. In that earlier account, he said the coalition parties had stayed in consultation despite voting differently on some measures.