The long-awaited reports, all twenty of them, from the committees set up to explore all possibilities for cutting back on the ballooning Dutch budget deficit and the national debt finally hit the press last Thursday, nicely just before Easter to give everyone a grim feeling over the long weekend, writes Giles Scott-Smith on TheHollandBureau.com.

Established around 6 months ago, the committees were deliberately set up to allow them to look at every and any possibility. No political taboes in the way. No sections of the government escaping. Everywhere a 20% cut.
The figures are disputed, but that the axe is going to fall is not doubted, its a question of when not if. The Central Plan Bureau has estimated an annual deficit of 29 billion per year on current trends. A civil servant financial study group came up with advise that the next cabinet must improve the fiscal position by 15 to 18 billion a year.
More