Why the Dutch are ready to lead the EU naysayers after UK’s exit

Linda J. Dodson

“The support of the left is not a problem for him,” says Bart van den Braak, professor in public law at Maastricht University and a researcher at the Montesquieu Institute think tank. “His own party [the Liberal VVD] used to be rather pro-European but is now more sceptical, partly because its opponents are the new right parties. That’s what he has to consider: that they are not going to frame him as too pro-European.”

Actually, Rutte is not known for his principles, but as a shape-shifting deal maker. “The Dr No, No, No isn’t something he shows publicly in the Netherlands: it’s a position he has taken up in Europe, particularly over the past few months,” says Van der Meer, who points out that Rutte has managed three coalition governments of hugely different politics. “In the Netherlands you’d better describe him as the manager who allows other parties to shine, who’s able to change tactics or positions if need be. That’s useful in a fragmented country.”

Another side effect of the Dutch system, which has a government of four parties and 15 separate groups in parliament, is that personality matters. “In public, he’s always very sociable and I think most people like him, even his opponents… although I don’t know about Mr Orbán [the Hungarian prime minister who recently said Rutte hated Hungary],” says Van den Braak.

Without a parliamentary majority, for instance, Rutte was recently forced to appeal to people’s common sense to manage his Covid-19 “intelligent lockdown” – and he is still benefiting from a boost in popularity, according to Van der Meer’s research.

“Rutte’s personal popularity has increased quite a bit, with a rally around the flag, a big increase in trust in government and decrease in feelings of cynicism about politicians,” he says. “His party has shot up in the polls and we know from other studies that this boost gives you more leeway with the public: they are more likely to support your policies, be it the lockdown or 1.5 million society, and probably also his position regarding European collaboration.”

The only major criticism in the Netherlands has come from Wilders and the Socialist Party (SP). Mahir Alkaya, financial affairs spokesman for the SP, says his party supported a far smaller no-strings “solidarity” fund months ago rather than a cash grab by the European Commission.

“We see a European Commission that has used this occasion to attract more money to give subsidies and loans,” he says. “Rutte has tried to form an opposition, and I do applaud that, but he didn’t succeed. There are many things in that fund that have nothing to do with corona, but the commission has used the momentum to push forward with matters like the ambition for digitalisation.

“Rutte is a true Liberal and we can imagine he does feel the loss of Britain in these negotiations.”

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