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Policy statement

This is the translated text of the government statement of policy on taking office as delivered to the House of Representatives of the States General by the Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, on 26 October 2010.

Madam President,

Today I present to the House a government made up of the liberal VVD and Christian Democratic CDA. A government that, due to its parliamentary support agreement with the Freedom Party (PVV), can count on a majority in this House of Representatives on key policy areas. This is an unusual situation for the Netherlands, which offers great scope for cooperation with all the parliamentary parties in this House. The government will seek that cooperation and work to generate the broadest possible support in its consultations with the States General. We will show the kind of open and constructive attitude necessary to achieving this. And we will do so in the knowledge that in our democracy, the States General represent the entire people of the Netherlands, as laid down in article 50 of our Constitution.

I can assure you that this unusual situation will not prevent the government from doing what needs to be done. By that I mean doing everything we can to make our country stronger, safer and more prosperous. We will not do it alone, but together with the people, the business community, and the organisations and institutions of the Netherlands. And yes, we face a difficult time ahead financially, and everyone will feel the effects. But there is no reason whatsoever to despair, for the Netherlands has everything it needs to set an example for Europe and the world. The Netherlands is the sixteenth-largest economy in the world. The fifth-largest investor. The second-largest agricultural exporter and the seventh-largest trading nation. That is the Netherlands' strength. We have an optimistic message for the people of this country: we can emerge from the crisis stronger than we were before. That, ultimately, is what motivates this government.

Madam President,

I would like firstly to thank Jan Peter Balkenende, my predecessor. For more than eight years, his efforts on behalf of our country both at home and abroad have been exemplary in every way. He performed his duties with conviction and commitment, always mindful of the common good. He has done a great deal for the Netherlands. I would also like to thank the other members of the previous government from the CDA and the Christian Union. Thanks to their continuous efforts right up until the last moment, a budget was prepared in time for the state opening of Parliament, which we can now build upon. And I would like to mention the members of government from the Labour Party, who stepped down in February. I thank them for their valuable contribution to the work of the government, particularly in tackling the financial and economic crisis.

Finally, I would like to mention, in order of their terms of service, the mediators who assisted in the formation of the government. Messrs Rosenthal, Tjeenk Willink, Wallage, Lubbers and Opstelten: thank you for your intensive efforts.

Madam President,

This government was established on the basis of the complex electoral result of 9 June, more than four months ago now. Today, after seven rounds of mediation and the formation of a new coalition, we have reached the point where we can debate the new government's statement of policy. It's time to get down to business. My colleagues in the government and I are delighted to be making a start, and I hope the members of the House feel the same way.

The VVD and CDA have concluded a parliamentary support agreement with the PVV, one that forms part of the larger coalition agreement. This model is the direct result of the fundamental difference in views between the VVD and CDA on the one hand, and the PVV on the other, with respect to the character of Islam. The VVD and CDA see Islam as a religion. The PVV considers it a political ideology. We have acknowledged and clarified that difference in views and we have agreed to disagree. As the three parties stated on 30 July, the PVV's willingness to support the budget cuts was linked to the substance of the agreements we made concerning immigration, integration and asylum, public safety and care of the elderly. All the measures and proposals contained in the parliamentary support agreement are supported by the parliamentary parties of the VVD, CDA and PVV. The PVV is free to vote against the other proposals contained in the coalition agreement, although it will not support motions of no confidence related to measures entailed by that agreement.

The title of the coalition agreement, Freedom and Responsibility, says a great deal about the way we plan to build for the future. We judge people not by their origins, but by where they are headed; not by their faith but by their behaviour; not as a group but as individuals. Freedom of religion and belief and freedom of education are guaranteed. The government will shoulder its responsibility to do what is necessary, and we want to give everyone in the Netherlands the chance to take their share of responsibility, too.

In this way, this coalition agreement offers opportunities to all, but asks for something in return. We write no one off, but call on everyone to play their part. We will have a robust immigration and integration policy. We will restore the balance between rights and obligations. We will work to make a country that sets - and enforces - limits. A country where a deal is a deal and where work pays. And we will give responsibility back to the people of the Netherlands. We won't condescend to them. No unworkable smoking bans in small cafés and bars and no other unnecessary rules.

Madam President,

If this government had only one ambition, it would be to have our country emerge from the crisis stronger than it was before. The Netherlands has weathered the storm relatively well. People have gone on working and companies have kept on doing business. We must continue to distinguish ourselves as an innovative and resilient economy. As a country that makes use of all its talent. And above all, as a country that offers its people and its businesses clarity and freedom. Where necessary we will provide safety nets. The state will protect the weakest members of our society. But everyone who is capable needs to climb up on the trampoline and make the leap towards success. No one in our society should be standing on the sidelines. Everyone has their own unique talent.

The coalition agreement contains countless proposals to that end. Improving education. Reducing the regulatory burden. Creating a more attractive investment climate. Increasing scope for innovation and for initiatives from the business community.

The new Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will play a key role in this endeavour. Cooperation among businesses, research institutes and government is crucial. The international success of the Dutch agricultural sector is living proof of that. This is and will remain a policy spearhead, as will energy supply security in the longer term. In order to meet European targets for CO2 reduction, we will promote the development of new products and technologies, for example through a new incentive scheme for sustainable energy. This is good for people and planet. It will make our country less dependent on others for our energy. And it will offer new opportunities to businesses. In this same spirit, the government will be open to issuing permits for new nuclear power plants.

Madam President,

Our goal for education is to achieve a top-five place among the world's knowledge economies. To do it, we must raise quality and performance in education across the board. The savings we make from targeted cuts in the education sector will go directly towards improving quality. That is, they will be aimed at pupils and - especially - their teachers. By making performance-related bonuses for teachers possible, for example. And by challenging pupils at every level to excel. We will work to remove the language disadvantage facing some children. We will tackle functional illiteracy and reduce the numbers of early school leavers. Students who take too long to complete their courses will be charged higher tuition fees. We will introduce a student loan system at Master's level, and in return students will get a better education. We aim to invest in every form of talent. We must make excellence in education permissible again. It is not up to the government to guarantee everyone's future, but as a country, we must ensure that we can give everyone a decent start.

If education is the software of our economy, then infrastructure is its hardware. This government will therefore be investing in our roads and railways. We also plan to get more public-private works projects up and running and to facilitate the construction of privately funded 'superhighways'. So that people have more room to move. And if road safety standards and the rules on air quality and noise pollution allow it, we will raise the speed limit on motorways to 130km per hour.

Madam President,

To emerge from the crisis stronger, two things are required. We need a rapid restoration of public finances and we need reforms. We must prune in order to grow. Or to put it another way, the days of storing up a little extra fat are over. The global crisis hit the public finances hard. The Netherlands had to spend huge sums to keep the financial sector afloat. The economic recession meant fewer tax revenues while expenditure continued unabated. In fact, expenditure rose, as a result of understandable decisions to stimulate the economy and employment with targeted investments. This led to a high national debt and high budget deficits.

By 2011 the national debt is expected to have risen to €400 billion: roughly €24,000 per Dutch national. And that figure is increasing by around €100 million every day. We pay €11 billion a year in interest on that debt: the same amount we spend on primary and secondary education combined. It is our duty to reduce this debt as rapidly as we can. To ensure we do not simply pass the bill to future generations. That would be irresponsible. Especially considering that, with the onset of demographic ageing, an ever-decreasing number of working people will need to support an ever-increasing number of non-working people.

That is why this government is taking strong measures, which will restore the foundations for a balanced budget by 2015. These measures will make the Dutch economy stronger and more dynamic, giving people and businesses greater freedom. According to Statistics Netherlands, structural budget cuts of €29 billion need to be made to restore the public finances to long-term health. This government will solve more than 80% of the problem - not only with €18 billion worth of cuts in this term of office, but also by raising the state pension age. The interests held by the Dutch state in the financial sector will be wound down as soon as can responsibly be achieved.

To realise the major savings that are necessary, the government will also be cutting its own ranks. We want a smaller, but above all more efficient, government. Choices will have to be made. In certain areas government has taken on too many tasks at too many different levels, without considering whether other tasks can better be performed elsewhere. Dutch government as a whole suffers from obesity. It is high time we went on a diet. Bureaucracy stifles growth. Our society is perfectly capable of doing certain things itself if the government offers sufficient freedom to do so.

Our guiding principle is to stick to core tasks. And we will apply that principle consistently so that we create a small but strong government that can manage with fewer tax revenues, fewer rules, and fewer civil servants and administrators. We will put an end to interminable procedures and layers of administration and policy. To give just one example: the Crisis and Recovery Act will be made permanent.

In creating this small government, where better to begin than with ourselves? This government has twelve ministers and eight state secretaries. In total that is seven fewer than the government that took office in 2007. And we are convinced that we can make do with fewer provincial and municipal councillors, and fewer officials in general in our provinces, municipalities and water authorities. Fewer Members of Parliament, too. Fewer provinces in the Randstad, the urbanised western Netherlands. And we can do without metropolitan regional bodies and borough councils entirely.

Devolving as much power as possible to the authorities closest to the people is the most democratic, and often the most efficient, way of doing things. That is why the provinces will be made responsible for nature management, and the municipalities for youth care. That is why we are decentralising the management and oversight of spatial planning and housing policy, which will be transferred to the provinces.

And if it makes more sense to centralise, then we will. There will be a single national police force, for example. And a single infrastructure authority for the Randstad. The idea here is to avoid an administrative circus and place the reins firmly in a single set of hands.

The government also wants to create more scope for professional expertise in the public sector. We want professionals in the police force and the education and care sectors to be liberated from unnecessary and pointless rules and procedures. We want district nurses to be able to care for their patients without having to use a stopwatch. The relationship between management and the workforce needs to change - to the workforce's advantage. Smaller scale. Human scale.

Benefits under the Incapacity Insurance (Young Disabled Persons) Act (the WAJONG scheme) are growing at an unsustainable rate. Almost 200,000 people are currently receiving these benefits. Every day 60 more people - two classrooms full - are added to the WAJONG rolls. Unless we take action, we will be condemning one young person out of twenty to a lifetime of social exclusion. We will deprive them of the chance to contribute to our economy and our society. The government will opt instead for a single scheme for those at the lower end of the labour market, as a reform to the Work and Social Assistance Act (WWB), the Sheltered Employment Act (WSW) and the WAJONG scheme.

As for the state old-age pension (AOW): when Willem Drees first introduced it, he assumed that the pension age would have to be raised one day, because people were living longer and longer. Now at last it is time to do so. Not only for financial reasons, but also because in the near future we will urgently need everyone who is capable of working. Therefore the state pension age will be raised in 2020 to 66. The social partners made this same choice even before the elections on 9 June, and the government agrees.

We also think it is fair, in these hard economic times, to call on individuals and organisations to take more financial responsibility. We will cut grants, because too much money is being shifted around too often by government. In the current economic climate, organisations need to take more initiative themselves in seeking alternative funding and working together. This applies in particular to the cultural sector and the public broadcasting system. Through a bill on private donations to the arts, we will facilitate sponsorship of cultural activity. And the public broadcasting system should concentrate on its core business.

A growing proportion of the money we earn is being spent on health care, and higher costs are leading to higher premiums. The government will constantly have to strike a balance between premiums and personal contributions, and between the basic insurance package and supplementary insurance. Today 6.3 million families in the Netherlands receive healthcare benefit: that is 70% of all households, and the percentage continues to rise. The government will halt this trend by freezing the budget.

Controlling costs is one side of the coin; the other side is earmarking additional funds for care of the elderly. More staff and better trained staff will be employed. Elder abuse will be combated. The government will work to create smaller care institutions. Care should be provided as close to the patient as possible, in the community, where people know one another. We will encourage initiatives from within the sector, such as partnerships between GPs, district nurses and specialists. The government will also create opportunities to attract private funding for health care, thus making resources available for ongoing innovation and improvements in the quality of care.

Work is a key factor in any individual's development, autonomy and self-reliance. We will need everyone in the labour market to maintain public services for those who do not work. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect everyone who receives benefits to do everything possible to return to work. Those on benefits under the Social Assistance Act will have a statutory obligation to do something in return for their benefits, to the extent that they can. Benefit fraud will be tackled hard and severely punished.

Madam President,

Controlling and restricting immigration and improving integration are necessary to prevent the emergence of a social underclass. Our policy will continue to be founded on justice. Our country will continue to receive and protect refugees for whom the Netherlands is the first safe country, as the Refugee Convention mandates. At the same time, however, we will be mindful of the absorption capacity of Dutch society. The government means to break the existing pattern of family migration. When women, often young women, come to the Netherlands from distant countries only to be condemned to lives of dependency and isolation, that is not good: not for the women themselves, not for their children, not for the integration of immigrants, and therefore not for Dutch society.

And so, Madam President, the government will set higher requirements for family migration and new educational requirements for all immigrants. We will ask immigrants to pay for their own civic integration courses, if necessary with help from a system of loans that we will introduce. Failure to pass the civic integration examination may eventually lead to withdrawal of the individual's residence permit. The government believes that people who choose to become Dutch citizens can be expected to adapt to Dutch society. After all, Dutch nationality entails responsibilities. We will set higher requirements for naturalisation, and introduce Dutch nationality on a provisional basis, which may be revoked in the event of a conviction for a serious offence. Finally, remaining in the country illegally will be made a criminal offence, and return and deportation policy will be tightened up.

Madam President,

Integration involves more than obtaining a civic integration certificate. The goal is for people to be able to contribute equally and fully to Dutch society, whatever their sex or religion. This is incompatible with a diversity/affirmative action policy that emphasises gender and ethnic origin. We will abolish this policy. We need an approach that tackles discrimination and promotes equal opportunities. On this basis, the government is proposing a ban on clothing that covers the face.

As a whole, this package of measures will lead to a very substantial decline in the number of immigrants entering the Netherlands. This will enable us to ensure full participation in society by the people who have come lawfully to this country. It goes without saying that the government will make sure that this policy does not undermine the knowledge economy. We also fully realise that some aspects of this policy will require the cooperation of other European Union member states, the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Madam President,

Public safety is a classic state responsibility. This government believes, very simply, that the Dutch streets have to be made safer. Quotas for penalties will not make the Netherlands a safer place. A tougher approach and an increased likelihood of detection will. It is unacceptable that some people in our country do not dare to go out or use public transport at night. And train and tram conductors and ambulance staff may not be treated as fair game for hooligans. This government means to tackle these problems. The police will work with the armed forces in dealing with large-scale, high-risk events. The police will be organised more efficiently and effectively. A single national police force will be established under the responsibility of the Minister of Security and Justice. The government will add 3,000 new officers to the force, including 500 'animal cops' to combat animal cruelty. More officers on the beat will prevent crime, increase the likelihood of detection and make people feel safer.

We will also take measures related to criminal law. Violence against police officers and other public servants will be punished more harshly. Public transport employers will take on the task of reporting attacks on their employees. We will introduce punishment packages and an adolescent criminal code to respond earlier and more harshly to transgressive behaviour by young delinquents. The community safety partnerships among organisations dealing with at-risk juveniles will carry on with their crucial work. The statute of limitations for serious violent and sexual offences will be extended. Mentally ill offenders under hospital orders (TBS) who violate the conditions of their leave will be punished more harshly. We will make it easier to deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crimes and thus help their victims. Minimum sentences will be introduced in cases of serious repeat offences. And people who defend themselves in their own homes or businesses against attackers or burglars will not automatically be arrested as suspects.

In short, this government will give people opportunities, but we will also set clear limits and see to it that these limits are enforced.

Madam President,

This government will take an open and self-confident approach to Europe and the wider world. The Netherlands has an open, internationally-oriented economy and longstanding, strong transatlantic ties. We are the gateway to Europe, a country of international trade and investment, and a base for international firms. So we have a direct stake in international stability and security, in energy and raw materials security, in a healthy international legal order and in a level playing field with only the most essential rules.

This government means first and foremost to get things done in Europe, because the European market is by far the most important for the Netherlands' economy and exports. This means we have to work together with our European partners in areas including security, energy security and transport. Europe is the right level for tackling many issues, because 27 member states are stronger together than they are separately.

At the same time, the EU needs to focus on its core tasks and respect the principles of subsidiarity. The government will work hard to substantially reduce the Dutch contribution to the EU. And the accession of new member states must be assessed against the strict criteria that exist for that purpose.

On the world stage, the Netherlands will remain a known quantity and a reliable partner. The development cooperation budget will be kept close to current levels, but the way it is spent will be drastically modernised. Starting now, not a single cent will go to countries with corrupt regimes. We will focus our policy more on self-sufficiency and opportunities for the private sector. And development aid will be concentrated more on area in which the Netherlands excels, such as water and agriculture. We will continue to help developing countries attain the Millennium Development Goals.

The Netherlands will also remain a known quantity and a reliable partner by continuing to prioritise versatile, flexibly deployable armed forces. This is one of the factors that determine our international standing. Our country will therefore remain a major security partner. I have great respect for our military personnel, who are working around the world to promote security and combat terrorism, drugs, illegal immigration and piracy.

Madam President,

These are our plans. We want to elaborate and implement them in close consultation with Parliament, as well as with the social partners, other tiers of government and other social actors. Above all, with all the people in our country.

In December 1913, Prime Minister Cort van der Linden presented his government to the House of Representatives. I cannot deny that I feel a certain affinity with him - and not only because he was my liberal forefather in this office. In 1913, as today, elections had produced a complex political landscape, which made it difficult to form a government. Then as now, the result was a government without a guaranteed majority in Parliament for all its proposals. Then as now, the Netherlands was on the verge of major reforms. Today the issues are sound public finance and a stronger, safer Netherlands. In 1913 the challenges were the introduction of universal male suffrage and of equal financial treatment for publicly-run and private schools. These were truly difficult feats that Cort van der Linden and his team succeeded in pulling off.

In presenting his team to the House, Van der Linden spoke these words: 'the nature of this Government must ultimately be judged by its substance, not by appearances'. I repeat his words today. For this government, too, what counts is results: what we do and what we achieve. Judge us by our deeds.

In any event, I can promise you one thing now. We will not only take on our tasks with great energy, but also with optimism about the future. The Netherlands is a splendid country. We have everything we need to set an example for the world - if we keep in mind that our country's prosperity and the happiness of its people are not determined by what happens in The Hague. The Netherlands' strength resides in each of us, in every person who lives here. This is the strength that we as a government intend to mobilise. By tackling the crisis in a way that makes our country stronger and more dynamic. With passion and with realism. So as to create a social, safe and stable Netherlands.

Thank you.