‘We will invest heavily in innovation, knowledge and research'

Yesterday afternoon, the two biggest winners in the Dutch parliamentary elections, D66 and CDA, presented an interim report on the formation discussions. They did so alongside informateur Sybrand Buma. The two parties have a substantive and ambitious agenda, according to party leaders Rob Jetten (D66) and Henri Bontenbal (CDA). Buma will now continue to hold talks with other parties.

Jetten sees the document as an outstretched hand. It is "definitely not an endpoint, but rather a beginning," he emphasised at a press conference held on Tuesday evening. According to Bontenbal, these agreements aim to show that it is possible to work together in harmony. The two parties would like to engage in politics differently from what they have seen recently. "Constructively, respectfully and with a focus on substance."

Student financing, youth housing, compulsory attendance
The provisional agreement does not mention student financing. D66 wants to increase the basic student grant, but CDA did not include this in its election programme.

Students are mentioned in a passage about the housing shortage. Jetten and Bontenbal would like to provide more “shared housing for young people and students", as “fewer studios and more shared housing will not only quickly result in more affordable housing, but will also help combat loneliness."

The two parties intend to promote this through “property subsidies”. However, they do not specify who will receive said subsidy: the student who pays the rent or the housing association that builds the property and pays for renovations.

The housing shortage must also be remedied with "simpler rules for adding extra floors and splitting properties," according to the two parties. "The minister will ensure that local authorities do not create unnecessary obstacles." They also promise to remove obstacles to subletting (living with someone who has a spare room).

Another point relevant for students is that the parties aim to establish a 'selective conscription' if not enough young people join the army. The two centrist parties find that the armed forces must be large enough.

Continuing education
Higher education institutions are said to be "absolutely essential for training people for the labour market of the future." They are also mentioned indirectly in a passage about “lifelong learning”. D66 and CDA write: "We encourage lifelong development and guidance from job to job by social partners, so that employees can receive further training during their careers and keep up with the labour market of the future." They add that "the government will provide resources for education and training, such as a learning budget or learning rights."

This could offer opportunities for publicly funded institutions, which have been striving for years to play a greater role in “lifelong learning”. They are also mentioned in the section on Defence. See below.

Top scientists from abroad welcome
The document sends universities a mixed message. It says foreign researchers are welcome, but the two parties do not want to rush into anything when it comes to foreign students.

"We want to enable research institutions to attract and retain top researchers and top talent from abroad," they say. Institutions will therefore once again be given the freedom "to focus on attracting top scientific talent". To achieve this, the parties want to restore the 30-percent tax reduction scheme for expats, which has been scaled back in recent years. They also intend to improve the scheme for knowledge workers and join the EU talent pool for non-European high achievers.

What about international students? On this subject, they write: "Universities will implement existing agreements on international student numbers." D66 and CDA are probably referring to the “self-regulation” promised to universities in the field of internationalisation.

Investments in science are also announced – which is hardly surprising considering D66 prides itself in being an "education-focused" party – but these investments seem to be primarily in the service of innovation and “knowledge valorisation”.

Defence
D66 and CDA aim to become less dependent on the United States for the innovation of weapon systems, which is why they will 'invest in this ourselves." They propose establishing a single fund for defence innovation, similar to the one in the United States, which should ultimately account for 10 per cent of the defence budget.

This would be a fund “in which defence works with universities, colleges, research institutes and the defence industry on the armed forces of the future”. And yes, they are committed to the higher NATO standard for defence spending.

Investments in research and innovation
"We are investing heavily in innovation, knowledge and research, digitisation and new energy infrastructure," the two parties write. They elaborate on this in various passages of the document, but they always revolve around economic interests.

"We are increasing public investment in R&D (Research & Development, Ed.), which is necessary for our future earning capacity and for increasing productivity," they write. The two parties do not want to commit to the Lisbon target (3 per cent of the GDP spent on in public and private investment). They only say that they are moving towards that goal.

Another example: "We are investing in scientific research, digital infrastructure and knowledge valorisation in order to bring knowledge, including scientific knowledge, to the market more often and more effectively." They also want to maintain “competitiveness” through investments in research and innovation.