“We really only have one resource left in the Netherlands”, said senator Paul van Meenen (D66) yesterday in the Senate. That resource is knowledge, he said. “So, isn’t it utterly foolish to cut back on that knowledge, that science, and that research?”
Other opposition parties voiced similar concerns, but they found no support among the ruling parties, who seemed to accept the billion euros budget cut to education and research, as became clear during the debate.
Red tape
“We believe that savings in education should be found by cutting back on the unnecessary administrative red tape and redundant management layers”, explained BBB senator Ilona Lagas.
But these cuts are not focused on that at all, argued D66 senator Paul van Meenen. “The cabinet has been quite clear about where the money will come from. In higher education, we will be cutting research jobs. We are going to drastically reduce everything that happens there. There will be fewer lecturers.”
Lagas had no response. “I am an educator at heart”, she merely said. In her view, it was too early to discuss education. That debate, she believed, should first take place in the House of Representatives, where the cabinet would surely come up with good ideas.
Van Meenen was exasperated. “I am not just making up what the cabinet is going to do”, he said. “No, we know. That’s why we’re here today: to form an opinion on it. I find it far too easy for senator Lagas to say she has a heart for education and that everything will work out just fine with this fantastic cabinet.”
Brushing off concerns
Senator Paul Rosenmöller of GroenLinks-PvdA took a different approach. The ruling parties claim that migration is putting immense pressure on education, healthcare, and the housing market, he pointed out. If education is indeed under so much strain, should you really be cutting a billion euros from it?
BBB senator Lagas brushed it off. She felt Rosenmöller was lumping too many issues together. Moreover, the debate on this still has to take place in the House of Representatives, “so at this point, I don’t have much useful to say about it.”
The opposition also hit a dead end with the VVD. The liberals pride themselves on valuing innovation, don’t they? Senator Edith Schippers responded: “It’s always tough when cuts have to be made.” She would have preferred not to see cuts to research, “but in the context of a sound budget, I can accept it.” She was glad that various fiscal innovation benefits for businesses had remained intact.
Slow-progress penalty
Senator Niko Koffeman of the Partij voor de Dieren criticised the long-term student fine for those who take more than a year longer to complete their bachelor’s or master’s degree. These students are required to pay an extra 3,000 euros in tuition fees. “While billion-euro companies receive handouts from the cabinet, students are being squeezed.”
Prime Minister Dick Schoof was also unable to explain why cutting billions from education and research was a good idea. This needs to be done “carefully and in consultation with the sector”, he said. The details of the long-term student fine have yet to be worked out.
Still, Koffeman had already tabled a motion against the fine. Perhaps it was premature, as the motion was rejected with 45 of the 75 votes. The governing parties VVD, PVV, and BBB (with NSC absent from the Senate) were supported by SGP, CDA, JA21, ChristenUnie, and 50PLUS.
Postponed
Another motion against the cuts to education and research was ultimately not put to a vote. This motion was submitted by a coalition of parties holding 32 of the 75 seats: D66, GroenLinks-PvdA, Volt, PvdD, SP, JA21, the senator for local politics (OPNL), and 50PLUS.
Support from the CDA and ChristenUnie would have secured a solid majority, but these parties didn’t oppose the cuts. Van Meenen (D66), who submitted the motion, kept it in his pocket for now.
