Dutch king to deliver budget speech to Parliament

Horses and riders arrive for a practice session for members of the Dutch cavalry in Scheveningen, Netherlands, Monday, Sept. 18, 2017. Horses and riders were rehearsing on a beach in the coastal resort of Scheveningen, outside The Hague, for ceremonies which will be held Tuesday to mark the opening of parliament and the presentation of the caretaker government's budget plans for the year ahead. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Horses and riders arrive for a practice session for members of the Dutch cavalry in Scheveningen, Netherlands, Monday, Sept. 18, 2017. Horses and riders were rehearsing on a beach in the coastal resort of Scheveningen, outside The Hague, for ceremonies which will be held Tuesday to mark the opening of parliament and the presentation of the caretaker government's budget plans for the year ahead. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

By Associated Press September 19, 2017 1 min read

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – The Dutch king is set to ride through The Hague in a horse-drawn carriage to deliver a speech to both houses of parliament outlining the government’s budget for the coming year.

The speech Tuesday afternoon will contain no major policy announcements as the two-party government has been in caretaker mode since elections in March and Prime Minister Mark Rutte is still in negotiations to form a new coalition.

Rutte’s center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy is in talks with the Christian Democrats, centrist, pro-European Union D66 and a smaller faith-based party, Christian Union.

Security has been tightened along the route King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will take from the Noordeinde Palace to Parliament. Thousands of people line the route each year to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.