If NSC wants to maintain its credibility regarding the pension law, it would be better to leave the formation – Joop

The pension funds’ offer to the coalition negotiations is “an offer you can’t refuse”.

Reports can be read in the media about leaked news from the negotiations on a proposal from the pension funds accepted by the PVV, BBB and the VVD. These are about being able to calmly (meaning of course: without any criticism, objection or resistance) divide a pension asset of 1,500 billion euros into millions of individual pension pots of citizens.

When I read Han van der Horst’s article about this, my conclusion was that buying off any form of resistance or criticism against the introduction of the new pension system was very cheap and cunning.

After all, with pension money saved by all working citizens, amounting to 25 billion euros in investments in the Netherlands, all resistance and opposition to the law, which is still very controversial, even by experts, is paid for literally next to nothing. This is if the amount is compared to the total pension assets of 1,500 billion euros in saved capital. An experienced business negotiator would certainly have foreseen a much higher asking price for handing in such an important party program item for the PVV and BBB than the 25 billion euros offered. Just like in the film The Godfather, the pension funds have made good use of the weakness of their negotiating partners. Money can buy everything in business, as it turns out once again.

This leaked provisional negotiation result is in line with what outgoing Minister Schouten reported in the House of Representatives after the adoption of the new pension law during a debate on its introduction. In it she indicated that resistance to introduction was in fact no longer useful because the old pension law no longer existed.

To revive this arrangement, the normal procedure for a new bill must be followed. That takes years! In doing so, she showed that a return to the old pension law is in fact impossible. So the new law must be implemented at all costs and all the associated risks. The Netherlands could therefore still be faced with a national disaster of unexpected proportions. Especially if the now controversial concept of “casino pension” will one day actually become reality for many (older) pension participants.

The incompetence of many civil servants, Members of Parliament and also ministers in the field of pensions can still cause major latent risks to become manifest. With irreversible financial consequences. Omtzigt and his House of Representatives spokesperson on pensions have always been crystal clear about this.

If the leaked reports about the pension deal with the pension funds are correct, then NSC would better permanently withdraw from the negotiation process in order to maintain its own credibility vis-à-vis its voters.

A party that guarantees competence in many areas, including pensions, is doing itself a disservice if it were to withdraw its fierce opposition to the blind introduction of the new pension system, as the pension funds have proposed, without a fight for money.