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10/11/13

Dutch government averts budget crisis with support of small parties - by Anthony Deutsch

The Dutch government on Friday won the support of several small opposition parties needed to push through a fresh round of austerity cuts, averting a budget crisis.

The centre-right coalition of Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte concluded several days of negotiations with an agreement to trim away an additional 6 billion euros ($ 8.12 billion)  in government spending in 2014.

Dutch news agency ANP said a deal was reached between the government, which lacks a majority in the Senate, and two small Christian parties - the Christian Union and the conservative SGP - as well as the right-of-centre Democrats 66.

The cuts are needed to bring the Netherlands in line with the European Union's 3 percent budget deficit target.

Dutch finance minister and Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem cancelled a trip to the annual IMF meetings in Washington this week to focus on the negotiations.

Read more: Dutch government averts budget crisis with support of small parties - World | The Star Online

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