Parliament has voted not to ease restrictions on bankers’ bonuses brought in following the last financial crisis, after finance minister Eelco Heinen said the rules should be reviewed.

A majority of MPs back a motion by the Socialist Party (SP) calling for the limits introduced in 2015 following the last financial crisis to be maintained.

Dutch financial institutions can pay top executives a maximum of 20% of their annual salary in bonuses, while the limit in other European countries is 100%.

The banking sector says the stricter rules in the Netherlands make it harder to attract top talent.

Heinen had urged parliament to wait until the next five-year evaluation of the renumeration rules, which is due to be published in December. But coalition partners PVV and BBB joined the opposition in backing the SP’s motion.

The vote comes as ABN Amro, which is still 40% owned by the Dutch state, is looking for a new CEO to replace Robert Swaak, who is stepping down in the first half of 2025.

ABN Amro is subjected to even tighter rules under the terms of its bailout that cap its chief executive’s annual salary at €800,000 and ban bonuses altogether.

The rules were imposed by then finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem in 2015, partly to encourage the bank to refloat on the stock exchange. But nine years later, it remains a private company.