The ‘neuro’ causes consternation in the ruling coalition’s senior party and a report says disabled people often suffer abuse. We apparently think our children face a less prosperous future, but never mind because Sinterklaas has arrived and he’s looking rejuvenated.

‘Neuro’ – no thanks
In Saturday’s AD, the head of a think-tank from the conservative VVD party called for the introduction of a separate currency for the stronger northern members of the Eurozone. But, says today’s AD, Patrick van Schie’s call has attracted the wrath of his own party.

VVD colleague and MEP Hans van Baalen rubbishes the idea of what the paper dubs the ‘neuro’. He dismisses Mr Van Schie’s plan as “not thought through”. What’s more he disparages the think-tank Mr Van Schie heads, describing it as comprising only “four or five people and some job-experience placements”.

Another prominent VVD member complains that Mr Van Schie is “stirring up trouble”, while yet another explains that “we should actually be doing everything we can to save the euro”.

Trouw says that, although VVD bigwigs have closed ranks to dismiss the idea of the neuro, there is a real debate going on within the party’s rank and file. The paper points out, however, that Mr Van Schie was short on detail about how the neuro would work. Many experts, the paper says, believe it would be too strong a currency and that this would hit exports.

Another subject of discussion within the VVD is reform of the Dutch mortgage system, says Trouw. The very generous tax breaks on mortgage interest payments are said to encourage people to borrow too much. It is feared that, if house prices fall still further, mortgage debt could become a major problem.

Disabled more often abused
Today’s nrc.next covers a report which says that over 70 percent of mentally disabled women have suffered some form of sexual abuse, ranging from being touched to rape. The culprits are often men the victims know.

The figures are lower with regards to mentally handicapped men, but nevertheless 45 percent of the group have suffered abuse, according to the report.

The document’s author says that both mentally and physically disabled people suffer abuse more often than members of the general population. He puts this down to many risk factors, such as their gullibility.

In its coverage of the report, de Volkskrant says that not only are disabled people more often the victims of abuse, but that the abuse tends to be of a more serious kind.

Deputy Health Minister Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten-Hyllner says the report contains “extremely painful facts”. She wants to break the taboos around the issue and make it mandatory for this kind of abuse to be reported, as is the case with domestic violence and child abuse. Her response has been criticised by one MP as “lacking a sense of urgency”.

‘Our children face less prosperous future’
De Telegraaf finds space on its front page to cover the downbeat findings of an annual survey of consumer confidence. After almost continuously increasing living standards since the Second World War, it appears the overwhelming majority of us believe things are now set for a downturn.

Only two out of every five questioned had confidence in what the future holds for their children. “It seems we can’t offer our children what we ourselves have enjoyed,” explains one of those behind the research.

Confidence has apparently been falling since 2008. Now, fewer than half those asked thought a recovery from the credit crisis would be achieved within five years.

On a more personal level, an increasing number of people have either been hit by the effects of the crisis or have witnessed them in their daily lives. Only 45 percent of respondents were confident of still being in employment next year, and just one in three said they trusted their employer.

Dutch Santa arrives
Saint Nicolas (Sinterklaas in Dutch) makes it onto two of today’s front pages. He arrived in the country by boat from Spain over the weekend in the run up to 5 December, when he and his helpers distribute presents to Dutch children (if, that is, they have been good over the past year).

He is pictured with Crown Princess Máxima and one of her daughters on AD’s front page. He had just landed at the seaside town of Scheveningen not far from The Hague and is said to have been as pleased as punch that the royal party had joined the crowds of children who had turned out to greet him.

De Telegraaf’s photograph shows him arriving at Dordrecht. Although there’s no mistaking him, with his long white hair and beard, it looks as though he is wearing a different mitre than in the AD photo.

The paper thinks Sinterklaas may have undergone rejuvenation therapy over the past year. It says that, despite his extreme old age, he was as sprightly as ever, even doing a bit of a dance for his young fans.

Read RNW’s coverage of this story