Dutch took David Cameron’s decision to switch venue for his Europe
speech from Amsterdam to London as a disenchanted fiancé might treat a
break-up: with melancholy but also relief. Some Dutch politicians were
excited by the chance to be host to such a defining moment in Britain’s
relationship with the European Union. The government also agrees that
some EU powers should be repatriated and its budget should be
restrained. But there is little sympathy for British Euroscepticism—and
some fear of Mr Cameron inveigling the Netherlands into a venture it
dislikes.
Officials are clear that they oppose more
opt-outs for Britain, and want to repatriate powers only on the basis
of a deal for all. Members of the ruling coalition have called on Mark
Rutte, the prime minister, to distance himself from Mr Cameron, with
whom he has a close friendship. The leader of the opposition Christian
Democrats said Mr Cameron was “not such a handy ally to have in
Europe”. When Mr Cameron demanded treaty changes and an in-out
referendum, the government counted itself lucky to be watching from
afar.
The Netherlands has always tried to draw Britain
as much as possible into Europe, seeking a free-trading Atlanticist
ally against more mercantilist continental voices. Frans Timmermans,
the foreign minister, says the “balance between London, Paris and
Berlin” has always formed the best framework for Dutch interests. But
he adds that the EU needs to be reformed from inside, not by “walking
away.” Mr Rutte’s previous government, with his centre-right Liberals
in queasy pseudo-partnership with Geert Wilders’s far-right Party for
Freedom, was often hostile to Brussels. But his new cabinet is a
centrist coalition with the Labour party. Mr Timmermans, a former
Labour MP, is a dedicated multilingual European who grew up in a
diplomatic family.
Read more: The Dutch and David Cameron: Not wanted here | The Economist
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