Chair of the House Martin Bosma receives on Accountability Day, Wednesday, May 21, the reports and documents that allow the House to verify what the government achieved last year, what was done for it, and what it cost. You can watch the presentation of the documents live via the website.
Minister Eelco Heinen presents the Financial Annual Report of the State 2024 and the departmental annual reports. The President of the Court of Audit, Pieter Duisenberg, then presents the reports in which the Court of Audit assesses the government policy of the past year.
Third Wednesday of May
On Prinsjesdag, the third Tuesday in September, the government traditionally presents the plans for the following year. On Accountability Day, held every year on the third Wednesday in May, there is a retrospective. Accountability Day and the debates that follow are thus important moments for the House of Representatives to perform its oversight function.
Accountability Debate
In the period after Accountability Day, the House of Representatives debates the reports from the departments and the Court of Audit. This takes place in the plenary hall and in the various House committees. The government must explain to the House of Representatives whether the goals that were set beforehand have been achieved. The government can take into account what was said during Accountability Day when preparing the next budget.
The plenary Accountability Debate is likely to take place in the last week of June. In the period leading up to the summer recess, the permanent House committees will debate the individual annual reports with the relevant ministers.
V-100
Since 2017, the so-called V-100 takes place after Accountability Day. The V stands for Accountability and the number 100 stands for the hundred citizens that the House invites to critically review the annual reports of the ministers. The goal of the V-100 is to directly involve citizens in the oversight task of the House. Participants in the V-100 have the opportunity to come up with questions about the annual reports of the ministries based on pre-selected themes. This year, the V-100 is on Monday, May 26. The theme is Implementation of Government Policy. The House of Representatives invites citizens and entrepreneurs who have direct contact with one or more public service providers.
Preparation for Debates
In preparation for the various debates, there are two briefings for Members of Parliament. The Court of Audit provides a closed technical briefing on the nationwide results of the accountability research. In addition, there is an open technical briefing by the CBS on the Monitor Broad Prosperity and the sustainability goals on May 21 at 1:00 PM.
What Happens in the House of Representatives Around Accountability Day?
What role does Accountability Day play in the work of various House staff? We asked an assistant clerk, a chamber attendant, and a cook.
Assistant Clerk Rick van der Steur: Accountability Day Receives More Attention
“This will be my first Accountability Day at the committee for State Expenditures. This committee plays a pivotal role in the preparations and on the day itself. I have been working since January on that third Wednesday of May. Accountability Day is an important moment for the House, where its oversight task becomes visible. This deserves just as much attention as Prinsjesdag, from the House and the public. We are working on it. For example, this time the committee is requesting extra attention in the annual letter to the House for signals that other committees give about the accountability documents. They sometimes signal financial risks that the cabinet should consider when preparing the Prinsjesdag documents. On the day itself, I will experience all the moments: breakfast, the presentation of the briefcases, and the technical briefings from the Court of Audit and the CBS. A full day, I look forward to it.”
Chamber Attendant Irma Gijselman: I Stand All Day
“Accountability Day is always special for me and the other two chamber attendants. We ensure that all protocols are followed. My day starts in the morning with the walk: I meet the Minister of Finance at the main entrance and walk ahead of him towards the plenary hall. The press is of course already waiting for the minister. The moment when I myself stand in the spotlight comes later. That is when I receive the documents from the briefcase from the minister, in the plenary hall. I then hand them over to the Chair. I also get to hand over the documents from the Court of Audit. The rest of the day I stay more in the background. But I remain on all day and pay close attention to ensure that everything goes smoothly.”
Cook Robert van Teijlingen: Special Breakfast on Accountability Day
“I have been working in the kitchen of the House of Representatives for fifteen years. While that normally means that I prepare lunch and dinner with my colleagues, on Accountability Day there is something extra. A special Accountability breakfast for the attending Members of Parliament, invited guests from the Court of Audit and the CBS, and two external speakers who come to give a presentation. The preparations for this start the day before: we are busy arranging sandwiches, getting oranges for fresh juice, and of course setting the tables nicely. On Accountability Day itself, I am present at a quarter past 7 in the morning to help the team with the last things to bake and set up. Once the breakfast is over a few hours later, and we have tidied everything up together, we cannot rest for too long. Before we know it, it is already lunchtime…”
Read More and Follow Live
- Watch from 10:15 AM as the documents are presented via the livestream.
- Read more about the budget cycle, of which Accountability Day is a part.