Jetten cabinet reintroduces ‘activation’ at the expense of income security
In the media image: Hansjörg Keller on Unsplash
The new Dutch cabinet is shifting social policy back towards a focus on ‘activation’ and away from income security. Critics, including social security law expert Barend Barentsen, warn in ‘de Volkskrant’ that this change may increase financial pressure on vulnerable groups.
Under the coalition agreement, benefits will be scaled back and stricter conditions introduced. The tone in The Hague has clearly shifted: whereas broad social safety nets were previously central, the emphasis is now on reducing unemployment and disability benefits. Not only that, it is proposed to raise the state pension age from 2033 in line with life expectancy. In practice, these measures increase the risk that people will be left struggling without sufficient financial buffer or appropriate support.
Barentsen senses a ‘nineties vibe reading through the coalition agreement. Our social safety net is not seen as a valuable achievement, but as a problem: because it is expensive.’ Cutting back on it therefore generates immediate savings. ‘You don't achieve that so fast if you cut funding for the public broadcaster or the National Opera,’ Barentsen says. But these cutbacks are not just about the numbers; they are also driven by ideology: ‘the three coalition parties feel that the welfare state can do with a bit less.’
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Read the full article in de Volkskrant (in Dutch)