The Dutch upstart anti-establishment party New Social Contract (NSC), which is currently leading the polls ahead of the upcoming general election, has vowed to oppose further EU integration in its election manifesto published on Tuesday while putting the option of negotiating opt-outs from EU policies on the table.
Pieter Omtzigt, an MP and member of the Council of Europe, founded the party in August after falling out with his former party, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA/EPP). He gained notoriety in the Netherlands for his efforts to expose state wrongdoing in the 2021 child benefit scandal.
“We do not advocate an ‘ever closer union’. Within Europe, we advocate for a firm position from the Netherlands, constructive but realistic, without creeping transfers of tasks, powers and budgets that erode national sovereignty,” the manifesto writes.
“The EU [should] only take action if it is more effective than national, regional or local action”, it adds.
The NSC is also calling for the introduction of a legal mechanism that would oblige the government to respect the opinion of the Dutch parliament when voting on legislative proposals at the EU level, criticising the fact that recent governments have disregarded the views of lawmakers on certain issues, such as the renewal of glyphosate.
In case there are disagreements with certain EU legislative proposals, for example, due to “insufficient support, workability or excessive costs”, the party will aim to form a blocking minority with like-minded EU states while threatening that “the Netherlands will opt out and not participate in any new legislative or policy initiative” if no such blocking minority can be found.
By flirting with the possibility of EU-level opt-outs, the party takes a similar stance to fellow newcomer and agrarian protest party Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), which stated its intention to opt out of the EU’s migration and nature policies in its own election program last month.
Finance and economy
In its programme, the NSC also states its opposition to the EU’s potential transformation into a so-called “transfer union” and categorically rejects joint EU borrowing and Eurobonds. It also calls on the ECB to halt its asset purchase programme and “return to its original mandate”.
It also advocates for “reestablishing and maintaining” the EU’s debt rules in their current form while also demanding a “moderate” EU budget without an increased national contribution starting in 2027.
The party’s standpoints align with those of EU member states, who had previously opposed proposals to increase the bloc’s long-term budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – by both the Commission and the EU Parliament earlier this year.
While pleading for more national sovereignty in financial aspects, the party admits that increased EU cooperation will be necessary to reduce dependencies on third countries for critical resources and create a level-playing field for European companies at the global level.
Defence and Ukraine
On defence, NSC reiterated its commitment to NATO as “the anchor point of our defence policy” and aims to legally obligate the Netherlands to adhere to the military alliance’s spending target of 2% of national GDP.
While the party opposes the creation of a joint European army, emphasising that “the national parliament has the last word on [Dutch participation in] military missions”, it also states that “European countries will need to take more joint responsibility” within NATO.
At the same time, it advocates for a continuation of the current government’s military, economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine while stating that the country should be able to join NATO “at a later stage”. Meanwhile, the party expects that Ukraine’s accession to the EU will “take many years, at the very least,” and emphasises the necessity of adhering to the Copenhagen criteria.
The Dutch elections are set to take place next month, with Omtzigt’s party currently leading the national polls while outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD and the joint Labour and Green list under former EU climate chief Frans Timmermans remain on its heels.
(Benedikt Stöckl | Euractiv.com)
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