All government departments are due to present their annual reports today. The aim is to hold ministers to account for their policies over the last year and examine in how far these have delivered on the promises made.

However the official ‘day or reckoning’ (or ‘mincemeat day’ as it is called in parliamentary circles) is not until Wednesday when the national audit office will report the outcome of the cabinet’s policies over the past year.
In order to attract more media attention for the event prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende will this year present his vision of what has been achieved in a letter of around 20 pages says ANP news service. The past year was the first in his fourth term as prime minister.
A parliamentary debate on the cabinet’s achievements takes place on the following day.
The presentation of the ministries’ annual reports was introduced a few years ago but, according to ANP, has not yet achieved the importance of the traditional Budget Day (Prinsjesdag) which is held on the third Tuesday of September and is considered one of the most important dates in the political calendar.