Jetten (I)

Jetten (I)

31 January 2026

So there is a cabinet. Literally: a minority cabinet. The question is simple: what are they planning to do — and with whom do they think they can deliver it?

On 30 January 2026, D66, VVD and CDA presented their coalition agreement for the new cabinet led by Rob Jetten. They call it a “cooperation cabinet” under the title Getting to Work. But a minority cabinet cannot “get to work” without constantly seeking support in the House of Representatives. That means negotiating, striking compromises — and, above all, enduring.

The agenda is ambitious. Education and science get breathing space again: earlier cuts of 1.5 billion euros are reversed. The cabinet aims to build 100,000 homes per year, with structural funding starting in 2029. Defense receives a major boost: 19 billion euros extra. At the same time, healthcare costs rise and the deductible increases. That last point is politically risky, because citizens will feel it immediately.

For the Kingdom, there is only a short chapter. It states, among other things, that the cabinet will invest in the economy and step up the fight against corruption. It also proposes amending the Charter so that the islands can become independent if they choose. That is a remarkable addition: the islands already have that right. It is anchored in international law. This point, therefore, raises more questions than it solves.

Resistance is immediate. GroenLinks–PvdA wants to push the agenda in a more social and greener direction. Trade unions warn that workers’ rights will come under pressure. And the opposition openly questions the stability of this cabinet. Meanwhile, voters are shifting: the right declines, the left rises. Apparently, people want policies that lean more to the left of the center.

I maintain that the major challenges of our time — climate, the energy transition, inequality, and inclusion — require solutions that we traditionally label “left-wing”. My prediction is that this coalition will not make it to the finish line.

Miguel Goede