The Dutch Parliament has voted against the country’s participation in the large-scale European rearmament program proposed by the European Commission, reports EUobserver.
The main reason for the refusal was the high financial risks associated with the initiative. The European Commission’s plan envisions investments of €800 billion in Europe’s defense sector, with €150 billion to be raised through joint borrowing. The Netherlands opposed this scheme, fearing that it would have to cover the debts of weaker economies such as France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
According to Volkskrant, the lower house of the Dutch Parliament rejected the program by a narrow margin—73 votes against 71. Three out of the four parties in the ruling coalition voted against: the Party for Freedom (PVV), the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), and the New Social Contract (NSC). The only coalition party that supported the initiative was the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
This vote puts Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in a difficult position, as he had endorsed the plan last week at an emergency EU summit on Ukraine in Brussels. Now, Schoof will likely have to return to Brussels to reassess the Netherlands’ stance.
Despite Amsterdam’s opposition, the Dutch refusal is unlikely to derail the program. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in a letter to EU member states that the rearmament financing mechanism would be established under Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU), which allows for emergency financial measures without unanimous approval from all member states.
The European Commission is expected to present a more detailed plan next week, after which EU countries will have a final vote on its implementation.
