In the morning I do my grocery shopping and then do some work on the diary. Late in the afternoon Martje comes over. We have to fill out a form on the computer to book our trip to Japan. After we have had some tea with a delicious piece of cake, which Martje has brought, we go to my study. As usual there are some surprises while we fill out the form, but we run into real problems when we try to book a room in the city where the congress will take place. The travel agency does not have any connections in that town, but I have got the names of three hotels recommended by the congress organisers. We try to find them on the internet. The information is limited, although there are many sites on which we can find the hotels, but when we try to book two single rooms the problems begin. The prices are higher than the congress organisers have indicated, we are told that the hotel has no rooms available (could that be because we want single rooms – that has happened to me before), the website says the price may be raised or lowered, so that we do not know what we sign up for and we notice that on most sites we are not connected directly to the hotel but to a booking agency. No wonder this makes it more expensive. It is already quite late when we decide to give up. I’ll get in touch with the congress organisers. I cook a meal and after we have eaten Martje goes home. It will be a short night: one hour less because tomorrow summer time begins.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Aukje de Vries' Diary Day 68
On Fridays my cleaning lady comes. She starts with my study and I do other chores in the mean time. The rest of the day I do work at the computer, nothing worth mentioning happens.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Aukje de Vries' Diary Day 67
Today, finally the Parliament can give its opinion. The opposition is furious. Why couldn’t they participate in making plans, why are the social partners heard before the Parliament? The one substantial measure that the government had in its plan: raising the age for the state pension is now uncertain because of the actions of the trade union. The decision is delayed by half a year and people do not know what is going to happen. When the leader of the fraction of the Christian Democrats says at the beginning of the debate that the government has made a well balanced proposal and that not much can be changed now that an agreement has been reached, this is more than one of the opposition parties finds acceptable. The whole fraction of 9 MPs leaves the room. It is a very unusual move and draws a lot of attention of the media.
The other opposition fractions stay in the room and they all are of the opinion that it is bad that the plans have been made by just a small group of people. All the other 147 MPs had no influence. Is that democracy? The other opposition parties stay in the room and launch fierce attacks with few results. The debate lasts all day until late in the evening. The opposition parties get two of their ideas adopted, but they are only minor additions to the agreement. There is a lot of criticism that the government has not stood firm on raising the age required for the state pension.
I only see part of the debate. I do not have the patience to sit and watch all day long. I have more to do. I wonder though what will happen to health care. I understand that there will be important cutbacks on the allowances people get to pay for their health care insurance. This is bad news for people with a lower income.
The other opposition fractions stay in the room and they all are of the opinion that it is bad that the plans have been made by just a small group of people. All the other 147 MPs had no influence. Is that democracy? The other opposition parties stay in the room and launch fierce attacks with few results. The debate lasts all day until late in the evening. The opposition parties get two of their ideas adopted, but they are only minor additions to the agreement. There is a lot of criticism that the government has not stood firm on raising the age required for the state pension.
I only see part of the debate. I do not have the patience to sit and watch all day long. I have more to do. I wonder though what will happen to health care. I understand that there will be important cutbacks on the allowances people get to pay for their health care insurance. This is bad news for people with a lower income.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Aukje de Vries' Diary Day 66
It is dreadful weather, cold, windy and rainy. The gardener is coming today. Poor guys, who have to work outside on a day like this. They usually come a little after 8, I have to get up early. One of the two men who come I know, the other is new. I explain to them what I want to be done. They go ahead and I can go to my study.
Today the government is going to present its plan to deal with the economic crisis. Over the past days the criticism has grown about the government, talking and talking but not doing anything. For three weeks seven people have been discussing in seclusion the measures that need to be taken to deal with the recession. They are the Prime Minister, who in this case does not represent his party but plays the role of an impartial Head of Government, a Minister of each party represented in the government and the leaders of the three parliamentary sections represented in the government. The diagnosis of the situation is that the three parties have renegotiated the pact that they concluded two years ago when they came into power. The rumours are that all three parties are unwilling to give in on issues that are significant for them, such as tax deductions for the mortgage people have on their house (Christian Democrats). This is especially advantageous for people with high incomes and very expensive housing, because taxes are progressive. This tax deduction costs the public treasury a fortune. Another one is what is mockingly called the kitchen sink subsidy. This s a tax benefit for couples, when only one of the two is in paid employment. This is a major issue for the Christian Union, which likes mothers to stay at home with their kids. The third big issue is social security and more specifically the unemployment benefit and the long-term care insurance which are important for the Labour Party. It is rather late in the day when the Prime Minister finally makes public what the three parties have agreed. They have only drawn one daring conclusion: the age at which people are entitled to the state pension is to be raised from 65 to 67.
After the PM has officially presented the plan the negotiators have invited the social partners (employers and trade unions) to discuss the plan with them.
The trade union FNV has fiercely opposed raising the age for the state pension and they obtain the concession that they get half a year to work with the SER (the Social and Economic Council) to find an alternative with the same positive effects on the national budget. The leader of FNV (a woman) is triumphant: we have got the proposal off the table she says! That still remains to be seen.
Today the government is going to present its plan to deal with the economic crisis. Over the past days the criticism has grown about the government, talking and talking but not doing anything. For three weeks seven people have been discussing in seclusion the measures that need to be taken to deal with the recession. They are the Prime Minister, who in this case does not represent his party but plays the role of an impartial Head of Government, a Minister of each party represented in the government and the leaders of the three parliamentary sections represented in the government. The diagnosis of the situation is that the three parties have renegotiated the pact that they concluded two years ago when they came into power. The rumours are that all three parties are unwilling to give in on issues that are significant for them, such as tax deductions for the mortgage people have on their house (Christian Democrats). This is especially advantageous for people with high incomes and very expensive housing, because taxes are progressive. This tax deduction costs the public treasury a fortune. Another one is what is mockingly called the kitchen sink subsidy. This s a tax benefit for couples, when only one of the two is in paid employment. This is a major issue for the Christian Union, which likes mothers to stay at home with their kids. The third big issue is social security and more specifically the unemployment benefit and the long-term care insurance which are important for the Labour Party. It is rather late in the day when the Prime Minister finally makes public what the three parties have agreed. They have only drawn one daring conclusion: the age at which people are entitled to the state pension is to be raised from 65 to 67.
After the PM has officially presented the plan the negotiators have invited the social partners (employers and trade unions) to discuss the plan with them.
The trade union FNV has fiercely opposed raising the age for the state pension and they obtain the concession that they get half a year to work with the SER (the Social and Economic Council) to find an alternative with the same positive effects on the national budget. The leader of FNV (a woman) is triumphant: we have got the proposal off the table she says! That still remains to be seen.
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