CDA Ends Talks with Cabinet on 2014 Budget
THE HAGUE, 04/10/13 - The Christian democrats (CDA) on Thursday ended talks with the cabinet on alternatives to the 2014 budget.
The cabinet made a concrete proposal Thursday for changes in the budget for 2014. The financial spokespeople of the CDA, centre-left D66, the leftwing Greens (GroenLinks), the smallest Christian party SGP and 50Plus received the proposal from Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem at 3 pm. CDA leader Sybrand Buma walked out of the talks around 5 pm. He said he would no longer discuss with the cabinet based on what he was offered. "Based on the present proposal, the CDA will not come back to the negotiating table." Buma said the 2.7 billion in tax increases envisaged by the cabinet has only been lowered to 2.6 billion in the proposal. Buma remains available "every day" to discuss any plan that includes zero tax increases. 50Plus also said it would not return for now to the talks. The small Christian party ChristenUnie does still wish to negotiate, although it did not join Thursday's talks. The cabinet appears to want to do business with D66 in any case. On Wednesday evening, Dijsselbloem, Premier Mark Rutte and Vice-Premier Lodewijk Asscher spoke with D66 leader Alexander Pechtold into the night. He would only say that the meeting was “clarifying.” It is said that the cabinet is prepared to change its plans on dismissal law, as well as the quota for employers to help the job handicapped to get work. The tax burden on labour may also be shifted to a tax on environmental pollution. The government conservative (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) parties have no majority in the Upper House. The coalition will still not have a majority with D66. Only the CDA could provide a majority on its own. |