The Netherlands: Will new Dutch "Wilders Cabinet" return Dutch troops to Afghanistan?

The US Government and NATO want to start immediate talks with the possible new right-wing Dutch Government under the "cloaked" leadership of nationalist anti-immigrant  politician Geert Wilders. This was confirmed by Ivo Daalder, the US ambassador to the NATO, during an interview with the Dutch news service NOS.

Earlier this year the former Dutch government of PM Balkenende was toppled as a result of  its dispute with the labor party PVDA, who were part of the Balkenende Government coalition.The Labor Party  was unwilling to extend the stay of Dutch troops in the Afghanistan Uruzgan area beyond the formally agreed date of 2010  The PVDA  wanted the troops brought home as scheduled while the CDA of Balkenende wanted more time to study the matter.  

Netherlands troop support for NATO forces in Afghanistan was approved by the Dutch Government in 2006. Estimates show the Netherlands, which at the peak of its involvement in Afghanistan had about 2000 troops there, has already spent approximately 3 billion euros, seven times more than was actually planned on the Afghanistan mission. The Netherlands has a total population of 16 million.

Given the possibility of the CDA now becoming part of  the new right-wing Dutch government, the likely-hood of the Netherlands re-committing to the Afganistan war effort seems pretty likely.

EU-Digest