Parliament adds 17.5 billion euros to national debt to fix wealth tax
Get European news in your inbox daily
A short daily digest of the whole continent — or just the countries you care about.
Check your email. We've sent a confirmation link — click it to complete your subscription.
A parliamentary majority has accepted a revised Box 3 tax proposal, despite significant criticism and the expectation that it will add 17.5 billion euros to the national debt to finance the accelerated transition to a wealth gains tax. The current government is a minority coalition of Democrats 66 (D66), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
Separately, dossiers for tens of thousands of patients with post-COVID and Q-fever are at risk of destruction by the end of the week, representing a significant loss of valuable medical research data. Meanwhile, the government, with King Willem-Alexander as head of state, intends to save the village of Moerdijk, though it cannot yet provide a firm commitment.
The country also experienced the busiest morning rush hour of the year, with nearly 1,000 kilometers of traffic congestion reported due to dense fog, which prompted a code yellow alert for a large portion of the country. Additionally, schools are reporting instances of child abuse more frequently, but accurately recognizing such abuse remains a challenge.