See more of Dutch Brief in your Google search results
The Dutch government plans to cut the number of civil servants by setting strict targets and using artificial intelligence. De Telegraaf reports that this move is expected to save hundreds of millions of euros.
What is planned
Sources told the paper that Eric van der Burg, the VVD junior minister at the interior ministry responsible for an “effective government” (slagvaardige overheid), will soon announce targets for reducing staff, though the numbers are not yet known. The plan relies on new technology, with AI expected to handle some of the work, especially in support and overhead roles, so fewer employees will be needed.
Insiders quoted by the Telegraaf say that using AI could save an extra 200 million euros in both 2028 and 2029. The interior ministry's budget sets aside another 200 million euros for the following year, with savings expected to reach 1 billion euros a year from 2035.
Years of growth despite shrinking pledges
This decision comes after years of growth in the civil service, despite promises to reduce its size. The number of central-government civil servants has increased from about 140,000 in 2021 to around 170,000 last year. The current coalition agreement aims to reduce the civil service, targeting annual savings of 1.4 billion euros from 2029, in addition to earlier efficiency cuts.
Earlier this year, the government said in its “effective government” program that about half of ministry jobs are in overhead, support, and management. The goal is to lower this to about 35 percent by using AI where possible and reducing outside hiring. Van der Burg said the main cuts will focus on managers, advisers, press officers, and secretaries, not on frontline staff.
SPONSORED
You’re overpaying your accountant. And they still don’t call you back.
Neno gives you a dedicated bookkeeper, automated admin, real-time financial insights and a free business bank account. Everything your business needs, in one place.
No chasing. No surprises. No unnecessary costs.
The expert caveats
The plan has faced questions, even from those who support a smaller government. An advisory committee on the future of the civil service, which Van der Burg is partly following, said digitalisation and AI can make government more efficient, but only if it also addresses the constant increase in rules, subsidies, and checks. Otherwise, technology alone will not fix the issue.
Former senior civil servant Roel Bekker, a well-known expert on this topic, has criticised what he calls a growing “policy overload.” He believes the number of policy officials should be reduced by 20 to 30 percent. Bekker also described the government’s approach as “chaotic,” noting that responsibility for the cuts is so widely spread that no one is clearly accountable. The interior ministry admitted in its annual report that it is uncertain whether it will achieve the savings, partly because the government is taking on many new tasks in the coming years, such as in defence.
What happens next
For now, the government has not released specific targets. The Telegraaf says they are still expected, and a parliamentary debate on the “effective government” agenda will likely take place later this month. It is still unclear whether firm targets and AI can finally reverse years of civil service growth, since earlier efforts have not succeeded.