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Dutch MEPs furious with House of Representatives

by AI | 13.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Dutch Members of the European Parliament from GroenLinks-PvdA, CDA, Volt, D66, and VVD are furious with the House of Representatives, which on Tuesday expressed opposition to the European rearmament plan of the European Commission. The MEPs call it “irresponsible behavior” (CDA), “short-sighted and dangerous” (GroenLinks-PvdA), and “a major historical mistake” (Volt).

The Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof (Photo: Ramon Van Flymen/ANP/dpa)

STRASBOURG (ANP) – “A shameful display, this vote in the House of Representatives. The Netherlands is internationally embarrassed,” says Thijs Reuten on behalf of GroenLinks-PvdA. “PVV, NSC, and BBB are putting our country in the back of the bus again and dropping the prime minister like a brick.”

During the extra EU summit on defense and Ukraine last Thursday, the Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressed his support for the plan of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives narrowly voted against her EU rearmament plan.

Backing away from that support is irresponsible, according to the VVD faction in the European Parliament. With this, Schoof and the Netherlands are sidelined, is the identical reaction of the VVD’s European and House of Representatives factions.

“Irresponsible behavior of these parties, especially now when we must stand strong together,” writes CDA faction leader Tom Berendsen on X. “All of Europe wants to take the much-needed step forward for our own security.” According to him, “this is the moment to stand up for the common interest, and not to stick to your own rightness.”

“In the Kremlin, there is celebration again because Europe keeps itself small with these kinds of decisions by the House of Representatives,” says Reinier van Lanschot, faction leader of Volt. Van Lanschot emphasizes the importance of unity. “We should not wait for war to unite Europe, but unite Europe to prevent war.”

D66 faction leader Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy also believes that the House of Representatives is “completely out of step” with a ‘no’ to additional money to protect Europe. Not only with European countries but also with a majority of the Dutch who, according to him, want joint investment in defense.

A large majority of the European Parliament also considers this important, as was evident during a debate earlier on Tuesday.

(March 11, 2025)