Coalition parties provide opposition to Defense Plans EU, but conditions

A solution has been found for the conflict between Prime Minister Schoof and the three coalition parties PVV, NSC and BBB on European defense plans. The three coalition parties are taking on their resistance and, under certain conditions, agree to those valuable EU plans, sources report.

It has been agreed that no more than 150 billion euros may be borrowed. Also, the borrowed money really has to go to defense and the budget rules should not be stretched too far.

On Friday after the Council of Ministers, the exact formulation of the compromise will come out if the ministers also agree. Premier Schoof did not want to say more today than that he had a “good and constructive consultation” with the coalition parties.

Only BBB leader Van der Plas said something about it in public.

This week a strong disagreement arose between the partyless Prime Minister and three of the four coalition parties following a motion about the reinforcement of Europe. Schoof does not intend to execute the wish of the Lower House to vote against the defense plans in Brussels. Insiders say that the prime minister today went on his stripes and did not want to perform the chamber motion that was hired on Tuesday with the support of three coalition parties.

The motion was submitted by opposition party JA21, with the call for not allowing the Netherlands to participate in the 800 billion euros costs European REACHNATION PLAN. This must be partly financed by entering into common debts by the Member States of the EU and the relaxation of the budgetary rules.

To the great irritation of Schoof, the VVD and a number of ministers in the cabinet, PVV leader Wilders, Omtzigt of NSC and Van der Plas also put their signature under this motion, which thus received a narrow majority.

Schoof is very disturbed about this performance, say sources of The Hague. He had already approved the “contours” of this EU plan, called Rearm Europe the week before in Brussels. Europe is in a hurry to increase the armament, because the existing support of the United States, via NATO, is less and less certain and the threat from Russia is increasing.

Due to the lack of necessary support from three of the four government parties, the position of Schoof in European negotiations on the plan threatens to weaken. Other European countries will wonder what his word is actually worth if he has not managed to get his own government parties behind him.

Nevertheless, the three government parties have decided to support the JA-21 motion because they fear the financial consequences of the new EU plan. The European countries are not only going to stretch the current budget rules. Money will also be borrowed together by all European countries, including economically weaker countries, that are mainly southern member states. As a result, the interest rate will become higher and that will turn out worse for the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Schoof thought that the support of PVV, BBB and NSC to the motion has created an unworkable situation and today invited the four coalition parties to his workplace in the center of The Hague.

In the morning there was three hours, at 5 p.m. the consultations continued until 7.30 p.m. VVD leader Yesilgöz was not there, who was visiting President Zensky in Ukraine.

After the afternoon conversation, the group chairmen said nothing. Earlier in the day, BBB leader Van der Plas and NSC leader Omtzigt spoke to the press. The latter was walking and was followed by journalists: