Eurozone Crises: Euro Tumult Shows Netherlands Converging With Germany at Expense of France - by Jurjen van de Pol

When it comes to fighting the European crisis, the Netherlands may as well be a part of Germany.
“The Dutch are often a mainstay for the Germans, and as such, play a bigger role then justified by their economy,” said Sylvester Eijffinger, a professor of financial economics at Tilburg University, 69 miles south of Amsterdam. It’s good for Germany because “it never wants to be accused of going it alone,” he said.

As European leaders have struggled for more than two years to tame their financial crisis, the Dutch government has sided with neighboring Germany in pushing austerity and central bank independence, underscoring differences between northern and southern Europe in seeking solutions.

For more: Euro Tumult Shows Netherlands Converging With Germany at Expense of France - Bloomberg