The impact of the coalition agreement and the formation of the new cabinet on the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS) remains to be fully determined. At present, the NDS is managed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) as part of the ministers’ portfolio allocation.
The division of responsibilities between EZK and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) still needs further clarification. The coalition agreement may also lead to substantive adjustments to parts of the NDS. Until more clarity emerges, work will continue along the current path.
Moving forward without additional funding
The coalition agreement does not include extra funding for digitalisation or the NDS. This means:
- Setting priorities and sharpening focus is essential; what can be achieved with the available resources?
- Clarity is needed on what each government body and organisation will actively contribute to the implementation of the NDS. Without substantial involvement, the NDS will lack the critical mass required to accelerate progress and overcome existing barriers.
- Existing budgets must be used more efficiently, for example, by eliminating duplicate activities across organisations and aligning with ongoing projects or initiatives.
Progress since December
Progress on priorities and interventions remains limited due to staffing capacity and financial constraints. However, with the available personnel and resources, initial results have been achieved. Examples include:
- AI (Priority 3): Secured EU funding through the GenAI4EU call. The Netherlands, alongside Denmark and Luxembourg, will join a consortium working on AI building blocks. Also, the virtual assistant GemChat has been rolled out to nearly 30 municipalities, marking a practical step toward the responsible reuse of generative AI in government.
- Data (Priority 2): The first version of the Federatief Datastelsel (FDS) agreement framework has been finalised. Early adopters, including DUO, have begun implementation, with support from NDS/IBDS.
- Digital Resilience and Autonomy (Priority 5): Published guidance on ‘crypto-agility’ to reduce vulnerabilities in encryption.
- Citizens and entrepreneurs first (Priority 4): Delivered a vision, roadmap, and strategic plan for signal management and proactive service delivery.
- Legal Barriers Intervention: Completed an inventory to identify which barriers the NDS programme will address first.
What are we doing and why?
The acceleration teams have produced concise 2-page summaries outlining their plans and rationale. It’s crucial that all government bodies understand and support these plans, ensuring the NDS programme focuses on what is most needed.
To maintain momentum, priorities and interventions will proceed with implementation. The course can be adjusted if necessary.
Alignment and stakeholder engagement
In January, stakeholders used the 2-page summaries to coordinate with their constituencies. Internal service providers were also involved, as their expertise is essential. Feedback from this coordination round will be shared with the acceleration teams. Additionally, various stakeholders discussed which accelerators are most relevant and where they can contribute specifically. The 2-pagers will be finalised in March 2026.
Trust the process
The coming weeks will be pivotal for the NDS and the dedicated individuals across government working to make it a success. Erik-Jan Boon, NDS Programme Director, states: “As Programme Director, I am confident that, possibly in an adapted form, we can continue the movement we’ve started together, which enjoys broad support. Ultimately, the final decision rests with politics.”
