Volt leader accuses VVD of blackmail in coalition tax row
Laurens Dassen of Volt told Prime Minister Rob Jetten and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal not to be "blackmailed" by the VVD, as coalition leaders met on Saturday to discuss the crisis over the tax plan.
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Illustrative photo: MatteoNL97 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Volt leader Laurens Dassen has called on Prime Minister Rob Jetten and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal to stop letting the VVD "blackmail" them. He spoke at a Volt party congress, while coalition leaders met on Saturday at the De Zwaluwenberg estate to discuss the political crisis.
The parliamentary leaders of the three coalition parties, Bontenbal (CDA), Jan Paternotte (D66) and Ruben Brekelmans (VVD), have also joined the crisis talks. According to Dassen, there are no real talks as long as they start from the VVD's "blackmail demands".
“Bontenbal, the man who accuses others of "casino politics" and of being "indecent", is himself playing the dirtiest political games. Time to send him and the rest of the cartel home: elections! Come discuss our plans at the FVD Congress:”
As long as the VVD is not prepared to make compromises, only one conclusion is possible: it is not possible to work with this VVD. I sensed this week in our negotiations that it can be different. Choose the politics of cooperation and compromise, knowing you never get your way a hundred per cent.Laurens Dassen, Volt
D66 and the CDA had struck a deal with opposition parties PRO and Volt to reshape the tax plan by €1bn in favour of working people. The VVD was angry and demanded a "fundamental reset".
On Friday VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz called the minority cabinet a "failed experiment". She wants a "substantive correction" and said adding an extra right-wing party to the cabinet should be considered.
The turmoil comes as trust in parliament is low. CBS figures show 24.6% of people trusted the Tweede Kamer in 2025, the lowest level since 2016. Trust peaked at 53.2% in 2020 and stood at 36.8% in 2016.
Trust in the Tweede Kamer fell to its lowest level in 2025
% · 2016–2025
Trust in the Tweede Kamer fell to its lowest level in 2025 (%). From 36.8 in 2016 to 24.6 in 2025; highest 53.2 in 2020, lowest 24.6 in 2025. Source: CBS.
View data
| Period | % |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 36.8 |
| 2017 | 40.8 |
| 2018 | 42 |
| 2019 | 40 |
| 2020 | 53.2 |
| 2021 | 42.3 |
| 2022 | 30.4 |
| 2023 | 29 |
| 2024 | 31.3 |
| 2025 | 24.6 |
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