For the first time in years, the government is going to cut costs again. ‘You can see that they do it with the cheese slicer method,’ says political reporter Mats Akkerman. ‘A little bit has to be done at every ministry.’
2.5 billion euros. That’s how much the government wants to cut. And it is the first time in years that it has had to make such an effort. ‘That’s because the cabinet is dealing with a number of setbacks,’ says Akkerman. ‘Yesterday we already heard about Groningen, where extra billions are going. There is also a greater influx of asylum seekers. What’s more, interest rates have risen, which makes repaying loans more expensive for the government.’
Almost no ministry escapes the cuts, according to the reporter. ‘Only in the field of defense and poverty reduction, the cabinet will not make cuts. That’s how it works with the cheese slicer method: every ministry has to cut off a little bit.’
STAP budget disappears, deductible in healthcare remains the same
Officially, the exact measures would not be announced until Friday. But on Wednesday, things already leaked. ‘We know, among other things, that the STAP budget will disappear and that the deductible in healthcare will not increase.’
We are also sure that free childcare will be postponed. ‘That will be moved from 2025 to 2027. There were concerns about staff shortages because the demand for free childcare would rise too quickly.’
