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Jetten badly wants the VVD to stay on board. On Thursday, he spoke more than once about a "serious fresh start." He wants to talk openly about what has gone wrong inside the coalition and how the Cabinet can work better with parliament.
Why the Tax Plan Triggered the Crisis
The trouble began when parliament adopted the tax plan on Thursday, over the objections of the VVD. The liberal party is furious. D66 and CDA struck a deal with PRO and Volt to raise taxes and freeze inflation indexing, bringing in an extra €1 billion from wealthier households. At the same time, the deal cuts the tax burden on middle-class and lower-class households by €900 million. That amendment was added to the plan.
The VVD firmly rejects any extra tax on wealth. Its argument is that such a move will push entrepreneurs out of the Netherlands. The party is also strongly against working with left-wing PRO. To make matters worse, the plan must now be carried out by the VVD's own Minister of Finance, Eelco Heinen, which leaves the party in an awkward spot.
During Thursday's debate, CDA leader Henri Bontenbal said months of fruitless talks with the opposition had left little time. The Tax Authority needs the plan in place to make changes by the end of the year, and without it the Netherlands would face a cost of billions. He said D66 and CDA simply did what was needed to secure support. In his view, the PRO and Volt amendment was important but not shocking, since the coalition plan aims to collect €451.4 billion in tax revenue overall.
What the VVD Does Next
Everything now hinges on one question: is the VVD angry enough to walk out? If it does, the country could face another parliamentary election. The other option is a fresh formation process using the current seat distribution, which is what MPs called for earlier this week should the tax plan end the minority Cabinet.
After the vote, VVD parliamentary leader Ruben Brekelmans held back from giving a real response. He called it "disheartening" that D66 and CDA backed the tax plan with the left-wing amendment, and said he would talk it over with his party members.
Yeşilgöz was not at the debate and could not be reached for comment. On Wednesday evening, she said the coalition needs a "fundamental reset." Brekelmans used the very same phrase in parliament on Thursday. Neither has explained what exactly they mean by it.
