There seem to be billions extra for Dutch municipalities and so the financial gap in the Ravine year 2026 is a lot smaller than expected. “A substantial amount is added to both general finances and youth care,” says Eric van Oosterhout, mayor of Emmen.
According to Van Oosterhout, an exact amount will only be announced on Friday. As secretary of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), he carefully detected optimism at a meeting of the VNG on Wednesday evening. “We can convey this news to our members (municipalities, ed.) With a positive feeling.”
Due to the extra contribution for municipalities in the Spring Memorandum, according to Van Oosterhout, legal actions of the VNG against the empire are also off the track. “Whether the members should find something else at the members’ meeting in June, but we don’t think so. It is also very strange if you as municipalities are going to litigate against the government, this is not our task. But I think it is now going in the right direction, we also talked about that with the Ministry of the Interior yesterday.”
Although things are going in the right direction, Van Oosterhout keeps a blow around the arm. “No more worries is said too much. And the situation also changes per municipality. But we can at least work with a slightly reassuring heart towards the 2026 budget and then work.”
The mayor of Emmen is not concerned about the political decision. “This is a plan of four political parties that form a majority in the Lower House. And actually all politicians in the Netherlands think that there should be more money for municipalities and youth care.”
“It’s a somewhat whimsical cabinet,” he continues. “The approach route was special, because on Monday we had nothing and two days later the world looks completely different. But I dare to look at the future for municipal finances and youth assistance with optimism.”