On September 18, the Rutte III cabinet presented its national budget. In it the policy proposals for the coming government year are presented. Bas Jacobs, Professor of Public Economics, discusses the national budget on numerous media occasions.
Bas Jacobs thinks that the government might have been too generous with the budget. ‘The European Central Bank can no longer stimulate the economy with a rate cut. The interest is already zero. It is therefore better that the government overestimates the budget then underestimates it. This prevents us from being faced with economic stagnation in the face of an economic setback.'
Jacobs also argues that Dutch politicians lack to see the importance of public investments in the economy. ‘Due to the extremely low interest rates, public investments in education, research and infrastructure are now more profitable than ever. It is now also the time to increase the sustainability of the economy. Higher investments increase labor productivity, allowing wages to rise. I do see that the government is doing something, but 2.5 billion euros a year during the government's term is not enough. ‘
- More information
You can find more media appearances of Bas Jacobs and what he has to say about the national budget below:Â
An article on the website of Trouw (in Dutch), 18 September 2018Â
An interview with Bas Jacobs on NPO Radio 1, 19 September 2018
An interview with Bas Jacobs on the website of RTL Z, 19 September 2018
Miljoenennota gesprek on debate centre De Balie, 19 September 2018
An interview with Bas Jacobs on BNR Nieuwsradio, 22 September 2018
An interview with Bas Jacobs on NPO Radio 1, 22 September 2018