Dutch in same boat as EU strugglers

The Netherlands is in the same fiscal boat as the leading peripheral eurozone states it has criticised for missing budget targets, and it needs spending cuts and structural reforms to revive a slumping economy, state think-tank CPB said.

The forecaster, whose estimates are used by the cabinet to decide on budget policies, gave predictions yesterday for wider budget deficits both this year and next.

It said the country needed “credible measures” to retain investors’ confidence.