Cabinet nears budget deal as fatal falls reach 21 a day
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An average of 21 citizens are dying from falls every day. The central statistics bureau attributed the sharp increase to elderly people overestimating their physical abilities. Separately, the government intends to cut spending on one-on-one youth care, prompting municipalities to demand more local control.
The cabinet is reportedly close to a deal with opposition parties to pass the 2027 budget, proposing to reduce austerity and reform the 'box 3' tax system. Elsewhere, Minister Rob Jetten promised to monitor his language after making a controversial remark about 'slapping people in the face'.
The government joined five other member states in demanding deep cuts to the European Union's budget. Meanwhile, officials refused to help Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado return from exile, and an Amsterdam pilot program successfully placed 332 asylum seekers into paid employment.