The new Dutch coalition faces imminent EU reality check

15 comments

1. This may be true, but it’s also a reality check for the EU. Immigration is a major issue for lots of voters. If the EU aren’t capable of complying with the wishes of the people because of their own rules and legislation, there will be a moment the EU will be forced to change those rules, or face a slowly dissolving support for the EU in many member states.

2. It’s part of the plan. Far-right PVV, and coalition partner of and for morons BBB, will demand impossible shit from the EU. The EU will not give in to those impossible demands.

   Wilders will then blame the EU (and the left, the media, and the judges) for not being able to Make Holland Great Again. So, if we really want to MHGA, we need to do something about the EU, the left, the media, and the judges.

   Straight out of Orban’s playbook.

   I can only hope that our democratic institutions are stronger than Hungary’s. Because Orban’s Hungary is Geert Wilders’ wet dream.

3. It’s a reality check for everyone. If our government won’t campaign hard for turnout in urban areas, you can be sure PiS will get yet another pyrrhic victory (technically getting #1 most votes, but still having democratic forces get more seats in total over PiS)

4. Why is it always “voters face reality check” and never “EU faces reality check”?

5. If people elect ring wing populists who make stupid claims and unrealisable demands, it’s not the EU’s fault.

6. Not really? they can do exactly what the old polish and the hungarian government have been doing for years and will be enough.
   Regardless if the EU refuses to change on these issues they will be forced to change

7. “Dutch politicians tend to display the habit of labelling a persistent policy failure of their own making a ‘crisis’.”

   Yep, that’s a pretty good summary of Dutch right-wing politics of the last 20 years.

8. How was a fascist elected in the Netherlands? I thought the Dutch were smarter than that

9. I agree with almost all of the article’s points. This Dutch coalition is very populist and in my opinion quite naive. Their policies aren’t realistic and rooted in populist and anti-science sentiment.

   However, the article also presents the fact that Dutch politicians have hardly any influence in EU and belittles them, like: ‘How can these Dutch farmers and populists expect to change EU policy, everybody knows nobody in Brussels will listen to them’.

   While on the issue of nitrogen emission standards I don’t think the EU should listen to them, it touches on a broader issue: Dutch people don’t feel like their voices are heard in Brussels. The sentiment in The Netherlands is that France and Germany make the rules and get to choose what rules apply to them and which don’t. Even though the Netherlands is a net contributor, our influence on policy making is very limited (yes I know votes aren’t determined by how much you pay and yes I know Netherlands benefits a lot in other ways from EU. This doesn’t change the sentiment amongst the populations) . We used to have the UK as a partner on many issues, but that’s in the past. Notable issues where the EU went directly against the Dutch’s wishes are for example: a ban on a new fishing technique called pulse fishing at the request of french lobbyists, the post-Corona subsidy programme with EU funds that The Netherlands didn’t support and expansion of the EU which Dutch people aren’t in favour of but EU seems determined to realize.

   You could simply say, that’s tough luck for The Netherlands they should know their place is a small country and accept that they’ve got limited influence. But I think the EU should be wary of the anti-EU sentiment if it wants to avoid trouble. Imagine if countries like Hungary and The Netherlands (very unlikely allies) start veto’ing issues together.

10. Does someone have examples of national politics being stopped dead in its tracks by EU parliament parties threatening to kick their members out?

11. Whatever your political views are, this is not a good thing.

    It just a lot of word to say : “Fuck you, if you are part of the EU, your vote have no value, fuck you. ps: Fuck you”.

12. This is going to be so much fun.

13. The most shocking thing is how is it possible that the EU would want to block a country from exercising the will of its people when they are asking for measures to ensure the prosperity of their culture and way of life ?

    It’s not about the so called xenophobes and racists (whatever that means nowadays) – its about the middle of the pack people feeling like they’re unwanted in their own country, forced to accomodate and fear those that came in and don’t respect them.

    The EU won’t be killed by outside forces, it will be killed by its own arrogance in thinking it can dictate what people should be willing to tolerate. Tolerance is only that if it’s not forced – because then it becomes tyranny.

14. I love how Orban seems to some kind of boogieman satan for people here lol. Also to people bitching about polarisation, stop being pussy loser and let politics become more interesting.

15. Just a reminder to all of you EU citizens here, EU elections are soon and that is how you make your voice heard. Far left and Pan European voters have never been afraid to show up.