Senate rejects motion for lower student debt

Senate rejects motion for lower student debt

 

 

^{Indebted students protested against their study debt in Amsterdam on 5 February 2022. (Photo: Impix)}

 

The Dutch Senate has rejected a PvdD motion calling on the government to reduce the study debts of unlucky students and – as cover – accelerate the reduction of fossil subsidies on 7 November 2023.

 

Students have been forced to borrow in recent years, the PvdD (Party for the Animals) argues, and have “not been adequately informed about the risks of interest rate rises and the difficulty of taking out a mortgage alongside their student loans”. PvdD senator Niko Koffeman therefore tabled his motion (link in Dutch) last week.

 

Besides BBB and PVV, most other parties also rejected the motion. The only supporters were GroenLinks-PvdA, Volt, SP and the Party for the Animals itself.

 

Incidentally, last year the Senate voted in favour of a motion by the PvdA to provide more relief to unlucky students. That motion was disregarded by the cabinet because there would be no money for it.

 

HOP, Bas Belleman