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‘Dutch MPs won’t swear loyalty to king’

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A number of lawmakers in the Netherlands say they will not swear allegiance to the country’s new king, Willem-Alexander, during his upcoming crowning ceremony.

According to reports, the lawmakers said they would not take part in the ceremony scheduled to be held on April 30, which is the traditional national holiday of Queen’s Day.

The lawmakers say the tradition is outdated and should be abolished.

During the ceremony, the king is expected to swear to be faithful to the constitution and properly fulfill his role. Following the pledge by the king, all the 225 members of the upper and lower house of parliament are expected to individually swear allegiance to the new monarch.

The 45-year-old prince will succeed his mother, Queen Beatrix, as the head of state, when the Queen abdicates the throne after 33 years.

Earlier this week, the Dutch Republican Society (NRG) announced plans to set up an online petition to enforce a parliamentary debate on the salary of Prince Willem-Alexander.

The NRG has called for the king’s salary to be lowered from 850,000 euros, the current salary of Queen Beatrix, to 150,000 euros.

The anti-monarchists say the Queen’s salary is more than twice the salary of US President Barack Obama and four times the income earned by German President Joachim Gauck. The Dutch monarch’s salary is also five times the salary of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and that of Spain’s King Juan Carlos.

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