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Dutch coalition deal short on detail, big on doubtful cutbacks

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch government-in-waiting is promising a break with recent history with its aim to invest heavily in social spending, leaving behind years of austerity in the typically frugal Netherlands.

Photo: DutchNews.nl Three of the nine high profile academics and economists who launched a controversial campaign to get the Netherlands on the road to recovery last week have now stood down from the organisation. Herstel-NL (literally, recover NL), published a plan to relax the coronavirus measures  by ‘protecting’ people with vulnerable health conditions instead. In particular,  shops, cafes, restaurants, schools and theatres can reopen if those more vulnerable to the impact of coronavirus stay in special ‘safety zones’ where the coronavirus rules are very strict, the organisation...

Fence off the vulnerable to protect economy, say economists Keep grandma out of IC. Photo: DutchNews.nl The cabinet is failing to provide a rationale for the complete lockdown and should focus on giving those less vulnerable to the virus more freedom, a group of leading economists and other financial experts argue in the NRC. The group, which includes economics professor Barbara Baarsma and professor of economics and government finance Bas Jacobs, said the focus of the government seems to ‘have shifted from protecting the vulnerable and preventing the collapse of the health service to maki...