The SP wants to turn the upcoming elections into a battle of ideas. Party leader Marijnissen said at the presentation of the party’s election program that “now that the house has been cleaned up in The Hague, we will rebuild our country”. She strives for a Netherlands “in which not only a few benefit from the profit, but we share fairly”.
The title of the program is Now the people. According to Marijnissen, the SP is the only anti-capitalist party in the Netherlands: “We are prepared to make radically different choices.”
The election program states that the Netherlands has been run as a company for too long and that people have been seen too much as customers. “The social welfare state has made way for a distrustful and punitive government. This applies to the ordinary people, but not to the very rich. They are better off than ever. It is understandable that people are losing confidence in politics.”
Among other things, the SP wants the minimum wage to rise to 16 euros per hour, which will also increase state pension and other benefits. Furthermore, market forces in the public sector must be tackled. The deductible in healthcare must be abolished, the tax for people who work will be reduced.
Stop closing hospitals
If it is up to the SP, there will also be a stop to closing hospitals and cutbacks in care in nursing homes will be reversed. Profit distributions in healthcare will be banned.
The party also advocates a radical democratization of society, giving people more say at work, in the neighborhood and in the country. The SP also wants a binding corrective referendum.
The election program is still a concept. The SP congress will make a final decision in three weeks.
