JA21, BBB and SGP put pressure on government
The three parties are linking support for the tax plan to demands on asylum, nitrogen emissions and medical ethics.
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JA21, BBB and SGP are acting together in talks with the government over the tax plan. Their demands differ, but together they could determine the majority the minority government needs.
The SGP is threatening to vote against the tax plan unless the government halts developments concerning abortion and surrogacy. JA21 is chiefly linking its support to stricter asylum measures and lower taxes for working people. BBB wants changes to nitrogen policy.
The three parties are making different demands. Acting together could increase their negotiating power vis-à-vis a government that depends on opposition support for a majority.
According to a survey by the EenVandaag Opinion Panel, 63 per cent of the coalition voters surveyed consider it unacceptable for the government to move towards the SGP's position on medical-ethical issues in exchange for support for the tax plan. More than 25,000 panel members took part in the survey. It is an opinion poll, not a representative popular vote.
The government is seeking support for the tax plan from several parties. In addition to right-wing parties, it is also talking to parties on the other side of the political spectrum. As a result, the tax plan could ultimately become a package in which different parties recognise separate commitments, but in which tensions between those commitments also arise.
Linking the issues could make the negotiations more difficult. Budget laws concern income and expenditure, while the opposition's demands also concern asylum, nitrogen and abortion. A political agreement on those issues does not remove potential questions about existing legislation and feasibility.
There is no agreement yet. The SGP has publicly toughened its position, while JA21 and BBB are keeping the door open to further negotiations. The vote on the tax plan is scheduled for November. The political balance could still change before then.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- JA21, BBB and SGP are negotiating, separately or together, with the government over support for the tax plan.
- The SGP is linking its support to medical-ethical issues; JA21 and BBB are making demands concerning asylum and nitrogen.
- The tax plan will be debated in November.
- No agreement has yet been reached.
Left
Arguments The government should not trade budgetary support for restrictions on abortion rights, a deterioration in the position of asylum seekers or a relaxation of nitrogen rules. Under this approach, political majorities should be built on substantive coherence and fundamental rights.
Values Equal rights, protection of vulnerable groups, nature and a clear separation between budgetary policy and fundamental rights.
Consequences An agreement with the right-wing parties could lead to less protection for nature and asylum seekers and put existing abortion rights under pressure. The government should therefore seek support from the left or pursue a substantively broader deal.
Centre
Arguments A minority government must seek support wherever it is available, but should assess demands issue by issue for feasibility, legal soundness and budgetary consequences. Compromises are possible, provided they are set out transparently and do not merely serve to secure a vote.
Values Administrative stability, parliamentary scrutiny, feasibility and policy predictability.
Consequences A broad agreement could get the budget through the Lower House, but only if the various concessions do not contradict one another legally or financially. A failed deal could lead to delays or renewed political instability.
Right
Arguments Opposition parties are entitled to attach conditions to their support. From this perspective, JA21, BBB and SGP are using their demands to give voice to calls for stricter asylum measures, more room for farmers and a more cautious medical-ethical policy. Without a firm stance, their support risks yielding little.
Values Democratic representation, national sovereignty, protection of traditional norms and limiting burdens on citizens and businesses.
Consequences If the government moves towards them, stricter asylum rules, changes to nitrogen policy and a blocking of medical-ethical legislative amendments could follow. If the government does not move, the tax plan could lose support.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The demands described, the political cooperation and the result of the EenVandaag survey can be found directly in the sources used. The text presents the possible consequences as political uncertainty, not as a settled outcome.
- confirmed The SGP is linking support for the tax plan to demands concerning abortion and surrogacy. — EenVandaag explicitly describes this position. source
- confirmed JA21 and BBB have demands concerning asylum and nitrogen. — Parliamentary documents and EenVandaag describe these issues. source
- confirmed 63 per cent of the coalition voters surveyed consider the SGP's demand unacceptable. — Figure from the EenVandaag Opinion Panel. source
Editor's note
The demands and the opinion poll have been confirmed. There is no agreement yet, and the final balance of votes remains uncertain.Sources
- Meerderheid coalitiekiezers vindt eis SGP onacceptabel — EenVandaag
- Letterlijke tekst persconferentie na ministerraad 16 oktober 2026 — Rijksoverheid
- Plenaire verslagen Tweede Kamer — Tweede Kamer
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „ja21 bbb”
- Het Parool — „ja21 bbb”
- Trouw — „ja21 bbb”