Coalition Agreement 2026–2030: digital ambitions require a grip on risks

Digitalization as a strategic foundation

While digitalization received little attention in previous coalition agreements, the new coalition agreement (2026–2030) explicitly positions the digital world as a strategic foundation for the economy, security, and public services. Digital infrastructure, data, and software are no longer neutral tools but critical building blocks of our society.

This shift has major consequences. Cyber threats, geopolitical tensions, and dependence on foreign technology parties are emphatically seen as risks to national security and economic autonomy. This definitively places digitalization at the board and management level.

Digital sovereignty: less dependence, more insight

One of the most striking emphases in the coalition agreement is digital sovereignty. The Netherlands wants to become less dependent on a limited number of (non-European) technology and cloud suppliers. Not by doing everything ourselves, but by making more conscious choices, making dependencies transparent, and actively managing risks.

In concrete terms, this means that organizations must take a more critical look at where data is stored and processed, need more insight into digital chains and underlying suppliers, and must take European standards and alternatives into account. Digital sovereignty is therefore not just about technology, but especially about governance and risk management.

Cyber Security Act, NIS2 and chain responsibility

The coalition agreement underlines the importance of rapid and consistent implementation of European cyber legislation, including NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act. In the Netherlands, this translates into the Cyber Security Act, among other things.

It is important that this legislation goes beyond the organization itself. Directors and management are explicitly responsible for appropriate security measures, timely reporting of incidents and managing risks at suppliers and service providers. Supply chain security is therefore no longer an ‘IT topic’ but an integral part of compliance, purchasing and risk management.

Security-by-design and transparency as the norm

The coalition agreement names security-by-design and zero trust as guiding principles, particularly within the government and vital sectors. But the impact extends further: these principles are seeping through to the business community via legislation, tenders and contract requirements.

This requires structural transparency: Which external parties are digitally connected? What dependencies exist per process or crown jewel? How does the risk profile of the chain change due to incidents or vulnerabilities? Without up-to-date insight, these questions remain unanswered.

From policy to practice: what does this mean for organizations?

The coalition agreement leaves little room for non-commitment. Organizations, including medium-sized ones, will face more supervision and accountability, increasing questions from customers, supervisors and auditors, and higher expectations regarding continuous monitoring and risk assessment.

The challenge lies not only in compliance, but in scalability: how do you maintain control over dozens or hundreds of suppliers, digital relationships and changing threats?

The role of RiskStudio

The ambitions of the coalition agreement require practical tools. RiskStudio directly addresses this by helping organizations gain a grip on their digital ecosystem.

With RiskStudio, organizations can, among other things:

• Automatically map digital profiles of companies and suppliers
• Keep track of the geographical jurisdiction of suppliers and shadow suppliers
• Quickly comply with the NIS2 guidelines and the Cyber Security Act
• Structure suppliers and dependencies per organizational unit or crown jewel
• Track incidents, data leaks and external signals without questionnaires or access at suppliers

This translates digital sovereignty from a policy goal to concrete insight and action.

Conclusion

The new coalition agreement makes it clear: digital resilience is not a future vision, but a current administrative responsibility. Sovereignty, cybersecurity and chain responsibility come together in higher demands on transparency and risk management.

For organizations, this means that waiting is no longer an option. Those who invest in insight, monitoring and governance now are better prepared for new legislation and the digital reality of tomorrow. RiskStudio helps with this by making the complex digital world clear and manageable.