The leader of the populist Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, says his party will categorically refuse to support raising the retirement age from 65 to 67.

He says the issue is so important that should his party engage in negotiations to form a new cabinet following the next parliamentary elections, it will become a breaking point. This spring the Dutch cabinet agreed, in principle, to raise the pension age to 67. The Netherlands' largest trade union federation, FNV and the Socialist Party are also opposed to the idea.
 

The Social and Economic Council is now studying possible alternatives to the plan, at the request of the trade unions. The cabinet says that if none is found by 1 October it will raise the retirement age to 67. Mr Wilders responded by saying that if he receives a post in the next government the measure will be reversed within a minute.