Health Minister Fleur Agema (PVV) has told the House of Representatives that there will be no ban on private equity in healthcare. Before Wilders’ first government was formed, the Freedom Party, with Agema as health care spokesperson, called for such a ban. Agema now claims that banning predatory capitalists from healthcare is “legally impossible,” AFP reported.

According to several parties in the House of Representatives, patients are the victims of this group of investors who are only interested in making as much profit as possible, with the quality of care being secondary. In a debate in April, the Freedom Party, supported by the National Security Council, made it clear that it was negative about this form of investment in health care. The VVD, the party of predatory capitalists par excellence, was in favour.

According to Agema, a ban on private equity could make it more difficult to finance parts of healthcare. She also now says a general ban removes incentives for “innovation and efficiency in healthcare.” Former minister Connie Helder (VVD) also said in June that she did not want to hear about the ban.

The opposition has nothing good to say about the role played by the Freedom Party minister. “Healthcare is not about making money. The consequences of excessive market forces are increasingly being paid for by people who need care. It is inconceivable that Fleur Agema is now putting the brakes on it,” wrote Harmen Kroll (CDA) on the X website. “Private equity, so the grasshopper capitalists who want to make a quick buck with health care money, have no business in health care!”, says Sarah Dube from the SP. “Once a minister, there are no new ambitions and we only continue with excessive market forces in health care,” concludes MP Julian Boshoff from the PvdA-GroenLinks party.

Earlier, the Freedom Party was a leaf on the tree and declared that eliminating the health care rebate, which Agema had fought for years in the House, was suddenly no longer a problem for the party.