Dutch King Willem-Alexander declares the end of the welfare state

[aolwien]

Youngest monarch in Europe says people must take responsibility for their own future and create their own social and financial safety nets

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dutch-king-willemalexander-declares-the-end-of-the-welfare-state-8822421.html


King Willem-Alexander delivered a message to the Dutch people from the government in a nationally televised address: the welfare state of the 20th century is gone.

In its place a "participation society" is emerging, in which people must take responsibility for their own future and create their own social and financial safety nets, with less help from the national government.

The king traveled past waving fans in an ornate horse-drawn carriage to the 13th-century Hall of Knights in The Hague for the monarch's traditional annual address on the day the government presents its budget for the coming year. It was Willem-Alexander's first appearance on the national stage since former Queen Beatrix abdicated in April and he ascended to the throne.

...

The king earns an annual salary of around 825,000 euros ($1.1 million), though maintaining the Royal House — castles, parades and all — costs the government more than 100 million euros annually.

[Laf.La.Dem.]

1. Do like the "KING"

Earn your money - be born

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Says Willem-Alexander, born on the dole and public housing, sucking up a milion a year

from taxpayers and calling that 'personal responsibility'. Scum.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

10. 100.8 million.

The king earns an annual salary of around 825,000 euros ($1.1 million), though maintaining the Royal House — castles, parades and all — costs the government more than 100 million euros annually.

That plus his salary is what he gets.

Consider your salary plus mortgage per year.

[Lars39]

3. What an arrogant little shit.

[Nay]

4. What an asshole! This is the kind of nerve these people have -- they are born taking taxpayers'

money, and they arrogantly tell everyone else to get off the dole. Jesus. Is there any way, in Holland, to decline to fund royalty? I'd pay money to see this little fuck working at a 7-11.

[Zorra]

5. The French people took responsibility for their own future on Bastille Day!

[malaise]

6. Is he giving up hi welfare life?

Fucking parasite.

I hate all royals.

[adirondacker]

7. Fortunatley, the folks in the Netherlands are well educated enough...

"A series of recent polls have shown that confidence in Rutte's government is at record low levels, and that most Dutch people — along with labor unions, employers' associations and many economists — believe the Cabinet's austerity policies are at least partially to blame as the Dutch economy has worsened even as recoveries are underway in neighboring Germany, France and Britain."

Very Unlike our own.

[Octafish]

8. More for the King, eh willie?

Hope you end up working in a Royal Dutch Shell gas station, like so many of my friends and family.

[deutsey]

9. Irony is apparently lost on His Majesty

[oldhippie]

11. Hey, he's the King .....

It's good to be the King. (Somebody said that somewhere.)

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. DUers should read the article; the speech is written by the Prime Minister

Last edited Wed Sep 18, 2013, 11:02 AM - Edit history (1)

The king, in theory at least, doesn't get a choice about reading it out. Now, if he or the PM had any common sense, they'd have realised that "everyone needs austerity" is not a message that should be delivered by a hereditary monarch with a fat salary and comfortable palace. But we'd need a Dutch constitutional expert to say what would have happened if he had just refused to read it.

So, rather than the "bloody king, who does he think he is, eh?" reactions, direct your fire at the Dutch government, whose policies these are. Unless you're Dutch and can tell us if the king could reasonably have refused to read this out.

[Capt. Obvious]

13. The irony

Is he just a figurehead king?

[brooklynite]

14. UNREC

Everyone here is beating up on the King as if this was his idea. He's reading a speech prepared by the Center-Right Government that was elected last year.

[HughBeaumont]

15. You know, because there's that wildly successful American model to base such a system on.

[treestar]

16. While that was unfair to the King, whoever wrote that is

rather cruel - how can the poor create a safety net? Unless the Netherlands simply has no poor people, that statement is quite Ayn Rand-ish.

[brooklynite]

17. And how did the Prime Minister get into office to implement this policy?