House allows demissionary Cabinet to ‘simply’ continue governing

It has been the fear of many in recent weeks. The fall of the Cabinet would lead to stagnation and delays in the major tasks. Once a cabinet becomes demissionary, the lobby around declaring issues controversial bursts open. It is the ultimate sorting exercise in The Hague – what can proceed, what must wait. But anyone who thinks that this process last week was purely procedural is mistaken.

The Strategy behind declaring issues controversial

Behind every request to declare something controversial or not lies strategy. Who wants to delay, who wants to continue, and who is already campaigning under the guise of ‘no trust’ or ‘we will take responsibility’? The fear of ruling over one’s own grave or that a dossier will become an election issue also plays a role. GroenLinks-PvdA explicitly chose the opposition role this week and wanted to declare many issues controversial in several committees. The PVV also played a strategic game, having withdrawn from the coalition and aiming for an even greater victory. Dossiers related to taxation, Europe, and sustainability appeared frequently on their list.

However, a majority of the House of Representatives decided otherwise. Just like after the previous Cabinet’s fall, relatively few issues were declared controversial this time. Even fewer than before: this year it concerns 28 policy documents – in 2023, it was 62. Where in the past the unwritten principle was often that the objections of one party were enough to pause treatment, it now revolves around majorities. This fits with the political reality: a minority government, looser coalitions, and parties sharply observing where gains can be made. Proposals that might have stalled before may now receive support.

Issues declared controversial

The strategic game is visible in the decisions but remains difficult to understand. What stands out are the few issues that were declared controversial. The NSC proposal for a regional electoral system is put on hold, just like the Transgender Law. In addition, several matters concerning the greening of aviation and the Social Council Schiphol were declared controversial. Also, changes to the management of ProRail are temporarily paused. It often came down to colorful coalitions, who perhaps had other reasons for wanting it. For example, the Climate Plan was put on hold due to support from the PVV, NSC, and GroenLinks-PvdA. One wants to delay, the other wants more ambition.

And there are also dossiers such as the network tariffs: formally not controversial, but behind the scenes, ministers and civil servants certainly feel tension. As a precaution, some topics are slowed down – even without the explicit request from the House. Waiting for policy space; not out of reluctance but out of uncertainty.

What follows now

But beware: the list is not yet final. The plenary votes still have to take place, and even after that, the House can still declare issues controversial – for example, if political relations shift or a dossier suddenly becomes more sensitive. In that case, a letter to the Speaker of the House and a new vote will follow.

So, the House can continue in the coming weeks and after the summer recess, although debates are often postponed. The extent to which decision-making proceeds at full speed strongly depends on how the ministers are positioned in the game. On some dossiers, there is a strong desire to maintain momentum. We can expect this from Minister Van Hijum and his self-employment legislation (VBAR). At the same time, the Cabinet remains demissionary, and ministers will also leave some requests to a successor.