Prime Minister Rutte is dissatisfied with the demands of some opposition parties that King Willem-Alexander forgo the annual increase in his income. He calls the request cheap. “The royal family is a vulnerable and delicate asset,” Rutte said in the annual royal household debate, which often discusses the king’s salary.

In this debate, it is above all some right-wing parties such as JA21 and MP Van Haga, but also the Party for the Animals, Denk and Bij1, who are explicitly calling for a salary reduction for the king, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix. They will receive an additional 2 million euros in 2023, which is too much for the parties, partly because of the energy crisis.

refund

The king is struggling with an image problem, states party leader Eerdmans from JA21. “We are making a moral appeal. The mood is alive now. Refunds could help his image,” says Eerdmans.

Think thinks the pay rise is unfair. “There are people with empty stomachs who cannot pay their energy bills,” says Van Baarle van Denk. Bij1 the orange is considered a symbol of inequality. “Support is steadily declining and the wage increase should not continue,” said Simons van Bij1.

company

Prime Minister Rutte believes that the parties are oversimplifying the issue. The king must also expect higher costs, according to the prime minister. “When people hear about an increase of 2 million euros, they think that’s a lot, but the money is also used for the employees and the company. Hundreds of people work there.”

The PM is not worried about the royal family’s waning popularity. In April, a poll by the research institute Ipsos showed that less than half of the Dutch had confidence in Willem-Alexander’s performance. He received a score of 6.7, significantly lower than the 7.7 in 2020.

Trip

In the debate, the ruling party D66 points to the “dwindling support” for the monarchy and sees this as justified by a few incidents in the two Corona years, such as the trip to Greece and Princess Amalia’s busy birthday.

Rutte says polls and popularity numbers are snapshots. “Sometimes numbers like this give hope, sometimes they make you humble.” D66 MP Sneller understands the statements relatively, but warns: “Sometimes it is risky to act too laconic.”

BV Netherlands

The governing parties VVD, CDA and ChristenUnie are as usual positive about the importance of the monarchy. According to the VVD, the oranges are an “added value” and refer to a working visit by Queen Máxima to the United States. “All attention is on the Queen where she works for BV Netherlands.”