# Municipalities and provinces urge The Hague to avoid cabinet crisis

> Government bodies, farmers, a trade union, housing corporations and schools say new elections would not help residents. They want the parties to settle the dispute over the tax plan themselves.

Politics · published 2026-11-12 16:56 · https://nlnow.nl/a/municipalities-and-provinces-urge-the-hague-to-avoid-cabinet-crisis/

Municipalities, provinces and water boards have joined civil society groups in a joint statement saying they are "deeply concerned" about the political situation in The Hague. It was published on 12 November. Besides the VNG and the IPO, which speaks for the twelve provinces, it is signed by the Unie van Waterschappen, farming organisation LTO, Natuurmonumenten, trade union CNV, housing corporation association Aedes and several education organisations.

The groups say the statement responds to the political situation around the tax plan (belastingplan). The education signatories are the MBO-raad, VO-Raad, PO-raad, Vereniging Hogescholen and Universiteiten Nederland.

"After years of stagnation, which left problems unresolved, the country is yearning for solutions," they write. "A cabinet crisis or yet another election isn't going to help our residents."

The signatories point to local and provincial politics, where there are no early elections and parties find a way to agree. "We call on the cabinet and all parties in the Tweede Kamer to do the same, by taking responsibility and sorting it out among themselves," the statement says.

They say what is at stake ranges "from nature and farming to the housing market", and from education and workers to regional and local authorities. "We urgently need clarity and progress in this country," they write, ending with: "Solve this together."

## Background

- **VNG (Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten)**: The Association of Dutch Municipalities is the national association that represents all Dutch municipalities (gemeenten). It speaks for their shared interests towards the national government and parliament, and supports member municipalities with advice and information on policy and practice. Its statements carry weight in discussions about how national decisions affect local government budgets and tasks.
- **IPO (Interprovinciaal Overleg)**: The Interprovincial Consultation is the joint body of the twelve Dutch provinces. It coordinates the provinces' common positions and speaks for them towards the national government and parliament on matters such as regional planning, infrastructure and the provincial role in public policy.
- **Aedes**: Aedes is the Dutch association of housing corporations (woningcorporaties), the non-profit landlords that provide affordable rental homes in the Netherlands. It represents these organisations towards the national government and parliament and promotes their interests in housing policy and legislation.
- **belastingplan**: The belastingplan is the annual tax plan that the Dutch cabinet presents to parliament, setting out tax rates, allowances and tax rules for the coming year. It is part of the budget package presented on Prinsjesdag and must be debated and approved by the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) and the Senate (Eerste Kamer). Because it determines how much tax residents and businesses pay, changes to it are closely watched and often politically contested.

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