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1/23/11

Netherlands: Afghanistan or Education? Dutch Professors join students protesting against Government cuts

One third of all Dutch University professors in the Netherlands joined 20.000 students last Friday in the Hague, protesting against government cuts in the area of education, while at the same time the Dutch Government approved a new military mission to Afghanistan.

Reports from Wikileaks reveal that the US had been putting pressure on the former Dutch coalition Minister of Finance, Wouter Bos of the Labor Party, to vote in favor of a continuation of the Dutch Afghanistan mission. The Labor party leader, however, did not sway under the US pressure, and the Government collapsed, when Wouter Bos pulled his party out of the Balkenende Dutch Government coalition.

Once again the Netherlands, at the request of the US are being asked to participate in Afghanistan. But so far it has not been "easy going" for the new conservative Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, in getting the motion through parliament. Even Mr. Wilders party PVV, one of  Rutte's coalition Government supporting parties, said they would vote against the mission. Mark Rutte is now seeking support from other non-Government parties to get his motion passed in parliament.

To "sweeten the deal" Mr.Rutte calls the new Dutch involvement in Afghanistan a "trainings mission", even though this "trainings mission"  is enforced by air-force and military units. As to Dutch public opinion, continued Afghanistan involvement has little support. In a recent poll approximately 70% of the population said they do not want a new mission to Afghanistan.

The question remains, should the Netherlands be spending taxpayers money on overseas military missions or on education at home?

EU-Digest

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