Queen Beatrix's Credit Crunch Vow

17 September 2009

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Holland's Queen Beatrix has vowed to cut government spending to ease the global financial crisis.

The 71-year-old monarch spoke about the country's economic situation in her annual address to parliament on Tuesday (15.09.09).

She said: "People are losing their jobs, the number of bankruptcies is rising quickly, assets built up over years are shrinking and government finances are unavoidably showing large deficits.

"If budgetary policy is not changed, serious and undesirable results will arise for the level of taxes and the affordability of services such as health care, education and pensions."

If budgetary policy is not changed, serious and undesirable results will arise for the level of taxes and the affordability of services such as health care, education and pensions.

The speech - which was written by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's government and read out in the The Hague's historic Hall of Knights - was Beatrix's first official duty since a man attempted to attack her during the annual Queen's Day parade in Apeldoorn in April.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima accompanied Beatrix to the event.

The royal trio took a golden carriage from Noordeinde Palace to parliament amid tight security over fears of another attempted attack.

Beatrix and her family were enjoying the Queen's Day procession on April 30 when Karst Tates, 38, drove his car at high speeds towards their open-topped bus.

The vehicle missed the royal family but ploughed into the watching crowd, killing eight spectators and injuring 13 others. Tates later died of his head injuries.

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