Cabinet agrees in Brussels with European Rearmission, despite the disposal in the coalition

In recent days it turned out that three of the four Dutch coalition parties have major objections to the proposed European Defense approach: PVV, NSC and BBB voted for a motion by JA21 party leader Joost Eerdmans to block the European plan. In the Lower House, the number of supporters and opponents turned out to be the same, partly because Eerdmans was in a traffic jam and could therefore not vote. BBB’er Henk Vermeer suggested that the room can vote again next week. “No man overboard,” Chamber President Martin Bosma agreed.

By that time, the discussion in Brussels will be a race. On Thursday evening, the 27 EU countries, including the Netherlands, all behind the European defense plans at a inserted top meeting. Ursula von der Leyen, the chairman of the European Commission that formulated the Rearmaking Plans at the beginning of this week, has thus received the necessary license to further elaborate the plans.

The plan means a fundamental identity change: the EU, once started as a peace project, again finds itself a defense union. The EU is going to borrow money on the capital market itself, so that European countries with cheap loans can increase their defense cafés, and lets the strict rules regarding budget deficits celebrate for money that lands in their defense.

No more economical coalition

The degree of unity with which the countries reached these conclusions was striking. Traditionally, suggestions for joint loans and softer budget rules encountered large resistance of the fuel -efficient countries in the EU: countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and the Scandinavian countries. That resistance was minimal at this top, insiders say.

When it comes to the Ministry of Defense, little is left of the former economical coalition. Germany in particular has undergone a transformation. Since the election victory of CDU leader Friedrich Merz, Berlin has been taking gigantic steps to broaden its own budget and even to argue at European level for even more flexibility. “We have to revise our rules in Europe for the long term,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the top arrival.

As far as Germany, not all countries from the old economical block want to go, but a turning point is visible almost everywhere. The Scandinavian and Baltic countries have been at the forefront of the discussions about REEMPLOTHING for some time. Austria is also no longer a crossbar.

The Netherlands, say several diplomats, has become one of the more unpredictable factors in the discussion. After the turn of Germany, the cabinet seemed to have resigned itself to the new European reality. Finance Minister Eelco Heinen (VVD) already weakened the seriousness: these defense loans were no problem, because they had to be repaid. At the same time, a majority of Schoof’s coalition spoke out in the room against the plans.

That division now looks like a rear -guard fight. In the final text of the top, the Member States Commission President von der Leyen are already calling to “explore further measures”, although it has been added thanks to the Netherlands that these extra plans must be developed “with guarantees for the shelf life of national debts”.

Von der Leyens Committee will convert the plans into legislation. The finance ministers of all Member States will vote on this, but the proposal is designed in such a way that unanimity is not a requirement. Countries can try to adjust proposals, but not stop them with a veto. The best opportunity to adjust was this top.

When it comes to the Ministry of Defense, little is left of the former economical coalition

Without orbán

The discussion about the committee proposal for the financing of defense spending took up the entire afternoon. Around dinner, the leaders focused on extensive support to Ukraine, where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had been openly opposed to for days. Just before dinner it became clear that the statement of support by 26 countries – without Hungary – was assumed. The statement was added to the formal conclusions as an appendix.

The leaders did not feel much for Orbán the opportunity to frustrate the meeting for hours with his resistance, as happened in the past. Slovakia, which did not want to agree, tacked after a passage was included in the text in which problems with the Slovak energy supply were recognized.

Earlier in the day, the government leaders received the Ukrainian President Volodyymyr Zensky for lunch. Zensky did not give a press conference, but The Kyiv Independent Pressed his speech for government leaders. He said that American and Ukrainian teams are again in conversation and that a new meeting may follow next week, after the disastrous visit of Zensky to the White House.

Zensky is racing on a cease-fire. Russia must stop the attacks on the civil infrastructure, abandon bombing and not perform military operations in the Black Sea. Then real negotiations can begin. The exchange of prisoners can then contribute to building trust.

The conversation with Zensky took an hour and a half and went, a diplomat said afterwards, in a quiet, business atmosphere. Viktor Orbán did not speak.

To share





Mail the editors