The Dutch government failed to reach many of its short-term goals in 2025. Many long-term goals are out of sight. The government promises more than it can deliver in such policy fields as housing, criminal law, the economy and a healthy living environment. The bill will be paid by future generations, so concludes the Netherlands Court of Audit in the Accountability Audit it published today.
Goals to reduce atmospheric CO2 or to meet clean surface water standards will probably not be met; the nitrogen goals are also doubtful. Long waiting lists in the criminal justice system have not been reduced. The targets set for the number of new homes and flexible housing have not been met. The Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning oversaw the construction of 17,665 flexible homes in 4 years, yet her goal had been 15,000 a year. Competitiveness has weakened and there are areas with no reliable, concrete goals whatsoever.
Operational management and implementation problems affect citizens and businesses
To deliver good results, the government’s operational management must be in good order. If the basics are weak, citizens and businesses are directly impacted. People who are medically incapable of working have to wait longer to be assessed and waiting lists at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service are growing longer and longer. Waiting times are also a major problem in the criminal justice system.
Security: performance and operational management below par
Security was a key focus of the Court of Audit ‘s Accountability Audit this year. The lack of results coupled with problems with the basics was again a familiar pattern. There are serious problems with the security of military assets and in the criminal justice system. The cybersecurity of civil servants’ digital workplaces is in reasonable order, but it is not known how long civil servants will be unable to work if things go wrong.
Slight increase in number of civil servants
There has been a slight increase in the number of civil servants in central government, up from 157,015 to 160,016 FTEs. The increase is less than in previous years. The Schoof government’s €1 billion budget cut has been allocated across the ministries, but whether it will lead to a smaller government is uncertain. The government has not clarified whether new laws will have consequences for staffing levels. Over 2 years, the Court of Audit examined 269 feasibility studies at the ministries. 38% of them include little if any firm advice on the staffing consequences of new laws and regulations. The percentage is markedly higher at inspectorates and supervisors, such as the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate and the Inspectorate of Education: 76% of the 81 feasibility studies contained few if any comments on staff consequences. This comprises the implementation of policy.
Lack of coordination
Lack of coordination is another serious shortcoming, especially for complex issues involving multiple ministries. The government does not exercise effective central monitoring of its security strategy. The Court reported last week that too few agreements had been made about who is responsible for the lack of strategic stocks in the Caribbean Netherlands.
Positive developments
In its Accountability Audit and Look at the Netherlands dashboard, the Court of Audit also identifies a number of positive developments. The labour participation rate is higher. The government has set up a National Care Reserve with 5,000 reservists. The government is well prepared for incidents on the high-voltage grid. The recovery operation in Groningen gathered pace in 2025. Procurement operations at several ministries also improved. Of total central government expenditure (€377.5 billion), 99.46% was spent in accordance with the rules and the accounts were correct, and 99.98% of government revenue (€388.5 billion) was regular.
The number of errors and uncertainties in commitments (undertakings to make future payments), however, is higher than the prescribed 1%. This is due chiefly to the Ministry of Defence, where there were €4.4 billion in errors and uncertainties largely because of its poor justification of the use of exceptions in tendering procedures.
The Court of Audit has issued a statement of approval on the central government accounts with a qualification relating to the substantial errors and uncertainties at the Ministry of Defence and in disability benefits for young people and uncertainty regarding the completeness of tax revenue.
High-risk list
The failure to deliver results for the benefit of society is not immediately visible from the accounts but it represents an unknown cost for current and future generations. It is important that the Jetten government delivers on its short-term ambitions while rediscovering the route to its long-term goals. It must put the basics in order. The government can improve its performance by learning from results. By doing so it can also help restore confidence in politics.
To better understand the risks that are standing in the way of results, at the House of Representative’s request the Court of Audit is today publishing a high-risk list. It sums up the greatest risks to societal results and public finances. €89 billion in ineffective and inefficient tax schemes such as the agriculture exemption, for instance, are a risk to the effective use of public money. If the government does not achieve its target of spending 3% of GDP on research and development, it will jeopardise the innovative power and competitiveness of the Netherlands. The lack of results costs the country many billions of euros a year.
The high-risk list is not exhaustive but is intended to inform parliament’s discussion of the risks facing the country. Together with the Court’s recently published Look at the Netherlands dashboard, it can aid decision-making on policy and finances with a view to the long term.
For the full Accountability Audit, please visit our Dutch website (content available in Dutch).