The King and Queen were welcomed by military honours before making their way to the Throne, where the King Willem-Alexander delivered his annual Budget Speech to the Parliament, outlining the government’s agenda for the coming session. Afterwards, the Royal Family returned to the Noordeinde Palace, to appear on the Balcony.
Members of the States General,
At the start of this parliamentary year, it is even more important than usual that the limits of government policy do not extend beyond what you permit. After all, the cabinet’s work rests on an unusually narrow foundation in both houses of Parliament following recent political developments. The cabinet fully realizes that close consultation with you will be necessary in the coming period to secure sufficient support and achieve further results.
At the same time, people’s daily worries about work, neighborhood, and housing don’t have a pause button. They want an income that will get them through the month, a safe and familiar living environment, and a home for themselves and their children. For young people, having their own place to live is a crucial step towards independence. Everyone also wants – very concretely and locally – to be able to count on good and accessible healthcare, a social safety net when life takes a turn for the worse, and an education that teaches children basic skills. These are the primary concerns of people.
Moreover, we live in a time of major international change. This was once again evident at the end of June, when the eyes of the entire world were focused on The Hague. The successful NATO summit was almost immediately called “historic.” And indeed, the decision to significantly increase defense spending marks the profound and rapid geopolitical developments unfolding before our eyes. Eighty years after the liberation of our country, issues of peace and security are once again urgent. And in other areas as well, major themes are confronting us. How do we seize the opportunities offered by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, while simultaneously mitigating the risks? How do we deal with increasing digital threats? And how do we keep the economy strong and competitive in a world of trade tariffs and new economic power dynamics? These are major questions to which there are no quick and easy answers, but which the government and the States General must nevertheless take into account.
Therefore, it’s good that, despite all the uncertainties that exist, we always remember that life can only be understood backward, but must be lived forward, as a well-known saying goes. This means that politics and society must continue to think and act with a focus on the future, even as our country faces new elections.
Against this backdrop, the government intends to build as much as possible on the initiatives initiated in the past year. Following the fall of the government, few policy areas have been paused. Hopefully, this will provide a basis for continuing to move forward together. The government and the States General have distinct roles in this, but share a responsibility to society.
Unfortunately, in the Netherlands, people seem to be increasingly at odds with each other, on the streets, online, at universities, and not least in The Hague. With strong opinions, for or against, black or white. As if one person’s opinion automatically implies another’s opinion’s wrong, while social reality is almost always infinitely more complex than that. The cabinet is convinced that this also requires an open, listening attitude and a willingness to compromise. Debate and differences of opinion are part of a vibrant democracy. But what is also part of it is the willingness to reach out to each other in a mature manner, despite these differences. It goes without saying that the cabinet will first take on this task itself, with the goal of finding solutions to problems and concerns that are widespread throughout society. Together with you and together with the municipalities, provinces, and water boards.
With this intention, the cabinet will continue to fully commit to completing the parliamentary debate on the new migration legislation. Getting a handle on migration is one of the biggest concerns in the country, and the issue remains urgent regardless.
Of course, it’s beyond dispute that the major ongoing recovery operations, which have been taking so painfully long, are being pursued with the utmost vigor. This applies to the people of Groningen, to those receiving benefits, and to everyone who, in retrospect, received too low a WIA benefit. In the longer term, there’s a major challenge to make regulations much less complex to prevent a recurrence.
In the area of safety, much has been done to make society more resilient to external threats. But safety in one’s own environment also requires a robust approach. We cannot accept that girls and women don’t feel safe on the streets, or people wearing a yarmulke or headscarf, or that two people of the same sex cannot walk hand in hand. This requires action from society as a whole, including from politicians and government. The 2026 budget includes funding for strengthening safety at train stations, for more shelters for women experiencing domestic violence, and for tackling femicide.
The Supplementary Healthcare and Welfare Agreement improves access to healthcare. The government is continuing its work with municipalities on the Youth Reform Agenda. In addition, there is the recent Outline Agreement on Elderly Care, which focuses on improving long-term care at home and in nursing homes. All these initiatives will require further development in the coming period, ensuring that good care remains available to everyone in the future.
It is, of course, crucial that the Netherlands lifts its nitrogen lock so that permitting can resume. This is urgently needed to build more houses, for businesses willing to invest, and to tackle the largest maintenance project ever on roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. This spring, a first step was taken with the Starter Package for the Netherlands Lifted from the Lock. The government will continue developing it. The package’s premise is to balance agriculture, nature, and industry and to achieve nitrogen targets, recognizing that food security is essential for the future of our country, especially in times of geopolitical unrest.
Spatial planning, in particular, is a complex field. Numerous activities require space, such as housing construction, nature conservation, and mitigating the impact of climate change. Consider also defense, the energy transition, traffic and transport, and future-proof agriculture. These themes converge in the Spatial Planning Memorandum. More central coordination is needed to accommodate all interests within the limited available space. In the coming period, the government will discuss this with you and with municipalities, provinces, and water boards. Spatial planning, in particular, holds a key to leveraging the economic and administrative strength of regions and achieving breakthroughs. To ensure that more houses can be built, the Spatial Planning Memorandum designates four new locations for large-scale housing development, in addition to many other smaller locations.
The foundation for a future with good social services for everyone is and remains a strong economy and a healthy government budget. On the positive side, unemployment remains structurally low and poverty has fallen further. It’s also positive that all groups will have more to spend next year, thanks to sharply higher wages and previously implemented measures to improve purchasing power. In that light, it’s important that the reduction in fuel taxes remains in place next year. However, there is also cause for concern. While the budget deficit will remain within the agreed limits next year, clear choices are needed for the future to maintain this. Moreover, current economic growth is too low to maintain our social services level in the long term.
That’s precisely why it’s worrying that a growing number of entrepreneurs are negative about the Dutch investment climate. This sentiment is heard by both SMEs and large corporations, and it must be heard. If companies invest less, or even consider leaving the Netherlands, it will ultimately undermine our country’s earning capacity. Reducing regulatory pressure remains urgently needed. In addition, the government is continuing to prepare a national investment institution and is investing heavily in the semiconductor industry, strengthening the Netherlands’ future earning capacity. The scheme for lower energy costs for industry will be extended until 2028.
In the Caribbean Netherlands and in Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, prosperity and well-being are under pressure. Together with the governments and administrative partners there, the government is continuing to work on greater financial stability, stronger governance, food security, and improved service levels. Due to the unique character of each island, this requires a tailored approach.
The current foreign affairs agenda is also broad and diverse, from trade promotion to negotiations on the new European multi-year budget. But two topics stand out: the ongoing Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. In both flashpoints, the bloodshed and the horrific loss of life must end as soon as possible. As a member of the international coalition supporting Ukraine, the Netherlands will continue its unabated military, diplomatic, and political support until lasting peace is achieved for Ukraine. It was recently decided to station two Dutch air defense units and three hundred military personnel in southeastern Poland, on the border with Ukraine. Now that the threat of war is closer than most of us can remember, we are especially grateful for the commitment of our military personnel and veterans to peace and security worldwide, both past and present.
The Netherlands can also exert more pressure on achieving a ceasefire in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by working with international partners. The government remains committed to an end to the violence and a future for all residents of the region. A joint European approach is our first priority. Many in our country feel deeply committed to the future of Israel and the Palestinians and are extremely concerned about the emergency situation in Gaza. Everyone wants an end to the human suffering as soon as possible. The government fervently hopes—and will work to ensure—that people will not become even more hostile to each other on this issue.
Members of the States General,
On October 29th, I hope as many Dutch voters as possible will exercise their democratic right to influence their own future and that of our country. Elections are not only high points in a parliamentary democracy, but also moments when the course of the country is determined. The States General plays a major role in this. This is an honorable task and a great responsibility that rests on your shoulders. You may feel supported in your important work by the knowledge that many wish you wisdom and join me in praying for strength and God’s blessing upon you.
