EU-Digest report: Dutch poorly informed by their government about benefits EU and euro

EU-Digest

Dutch poorly informed by their government about benefits EU and euro

"It is amazing to read recent polls in the Netherlands which shows a majority of the Dutch would prefer to return to their old currency "the guilder". This not only indicates some ignorance on the part of the public, but also reflects on the poor job the Netherlands government is doing in publicizing the positive facts about their country's membership in the EU, and the benefits of the euro. Regardless of popular belief, the introduction of the euro has not increased inflation or caused prices to go up. On the contrary. Could anyone in his right mind imagine what it would mean if the Netherlands had the "guilder" back and people had to exchange it at the border every time they left the country? The other myth that the Dutch seem to believe in is that being a member of the EU is "costing the Netherlands a lot of money". Again this is not true.

The Netherlands which has an open economy has economically benefited from its membership in the EU and receives a variety of subsidies in just about every possible field directly from Bruxelles. Unfortunately politicians in the Netherlands use the EU as a "scapegoat" to blame their own unpopular economic measures on. The bottom line is that the Netherlands government better get their act together at providing the Dutch public more factual information on the benefits of EU membership and the euro.

The EU might not yet be perfect, but it certainly is the best thing going for Europe in today's and tomorrow's world. Europeans need to protect this fragile project from those who want to see it fail."