Today's debate in parliament in which Prime Minister Mark Rutte will read out his government policy statement, is likely to be dominated by the issue of dual nationality. In a speech to the Lower House, the prime minister will lay out the plans of the conservative VVD and Christian Democrat cabinet.

The minority cabinet has the parliamentary support of the Freedom Party. Party leader Geert Wilders, however, plans to tackle the government on the dual nationality of deputy minister Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten-Hyllner. Ms Veldhuijzen also holds a Swedish passport. Mr Wilders is opposed to government ministers holding two passports as he says it leads to a conflict in loyalty. When the previous government took office three years ago, Mr Wilders demanded that deputy ministers Nebahat Albayrak (Dutch-Turkish) and Ahmed Aboutaleb (Dutch-Moroccan) stand down.

U-turn
Other parliamentary parties have indicated they do not support his opposition to dual nationality. However, MPs are annoyed by the volte-face of Prime Minister Rutte himself.

In 2007, as leader of the VVD parliamentary party, he urged then Labour deputy minister Nebahat Albayrak to give up her Turkish nationality and said having two passports was something that should not be allowed in the future. Job Cohen has called on Mr Rutte to issue an apology to the former deputy minister. Ms Albayrak says he should apologise to a million Dutch people who he insinuated were disloyal.

Before Prime Minister Rutte reads out his policy statement ten new MPs will be sworn in to replace government ministers. One of them VVD candidate Bart de Liefde also holds two passports. He is partly British according to public broadcaster NOS.

Support agreement
In the coalition's pact with the Freedom Party, various measures have been announced to limit dual nationality. In the future it will be more difficult to obtain Dutch nationality and it will only be granted when the person requesting a Dutch passport has given up "one or more other nationalities, where that is possible".