Dutch government boosts LGBTIQ+ safety and education but announces budget cuts
The Dutch cabinet is investing €22.9 million in LGBTIQ+ safety and €100 million in vocational education, while also implementing cutbacks. Citizens may see improved support for vulnerable groups but face reductions in subsidies and price adjustments due to inflation.
| Category | Amount (€) | Duration/Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGBTIQ+ safety | 22.9 million | 2026-2029 | Promote acceptance, mental health, campaigns |
| Violence against women | 13.4 million/year | Ongoing | Nationwide prevention |
| Basic skills in MBO | 100 million | 2027/2028 - 2030/2031 | Address learning delays |
| CABR archives | 4.1 million | Temporary | Digital research access |
| National Archives | 7.3 million/year | From 2029 | New Archives Act obligations |
| Subsidy reductions (OCW) | 18.9 million/year | From 2027 | Budget cuts |
| Education/research/media | 1.5 billion | Before summer/Prinsjesdag | Reverse previous cutbacks |
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) oversees policies related to education, culture, and science in the Netherlands. In this Spring Memorandum, OCW outlines budget allocations and cutbacks that directly impact vocational education, archival services, and social initiatives like LGBTIQ+ safety.
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external link to whydonate.comRead the full translated article below
Spring Memorandum OCW: investments in emancipation and basic skills, but also cutbacks
The cabinet is allocating an additional €22.9 million over the next three years to improve the safety of LGBTIQ+ individuals. An extra €13.4 million per year will also be made available to combat violence against women, and an additional €100 million will go towards basic skills in senior secondary vocational education (mbo). This is according to the Spring Memorandum published today. In addition to these investments, a number of cutbacks from the previous cabinet period and the coalition agreement will also be implemented.
With the extra funding for the safety of LGBTIQ+ individuals, the cabinet aims to promote acceptance among young people, make mental health issues among LGBTIQ+ individuals more discussable, and launch campaigns to counter discrimination and misinformation. To further address violence against women, there will be a nationwide focus on prevention. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) will collaborate with the Ministries of Justice and Security (J&V), Social Affairs and Employment (SZW), and Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) on this. The detailed plans will be announced later this year.
Language and numeracy
Recent progress figures show that strengthening the language and numeracy skills of students transferring from senior secondary vocational education (vmbo) to senior secondary vocational education (mbo) is necessary. Therefore, an additional €100 million will be allocated to basic skills in mbo from the 2027/2028 to 2030/2031 academic years to provide extra support to students and address learning delays.
Archives
An additional €4.1 million will go to the Central Archive for Special Jurisdiction (CABR) for a temporary facility. Anyone with a research interest, such as relatives of victims, will be able to conduct digital research in this war archive at eleven Regional Historical Centres under certain conditions. To meet new obligations under the Archives Act and create more training opportunities in the archival sector, an extra €3.8 million will be made available in 2026 and €7.3 million annually from 2029 onwards. This will largely go to the National Archives to carry out the additional tasks arising from the new Archives Act.
Price adjustment
During the recent Prinsjesdag (budget day), it was announced that the so-called price adjustment for nationwide issues would be cut. The price adjustment is the compensation the cabinet provides for increased prices due to inflation. The exact reduction in the price adjustment for OCW will be announced next week with the publication of the First Supplementary Budget.
Subsidies
Additionally, the coalition agreement includes less funding nationwide for various subsidies, with OCW facing a total reduction of €18.9 million per year from 2027. The details will be announced next week with the publication of the First Supplementary Budget.
Investments
The Spring Memorandum does not yet include the more than €1.5 billion that the cabinet plans to invest in education, research, and media. This money is intended, among other things, to reverse various cutbacks from the previous cabinet. The allocation of these funds across the plans in the coalition agreement will be clarified before the summer and during Prinsjesdag.