‘We must improve our national defense, the world is on fire’

That he would play was actually no secret, yet Frans Timmermans kept the cards against the breasts for a long time. If the coalition itself was distributed over the NATO standard, then GroenLinks-PvdA would « not help a majority »-not even with a question that affects national security.

In addition, Timmermans attached conditions to the enormous increase in defense spending (from 2 to 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product) that NATO requires. Extra money for defense (it concerns amounts to 19 billion euros) may not lead to cuts on healthcare, education and benefits – Timmermans said.

He still thinks that, but during the plenary parliamentary debate, GroenLinks-PvdA will still support the decision of the outgoing cabinet on Tuesday afternoon to agree with the NATO standard of 3.5 percent for the armed forces. Plus 1.5 percent for vital infrastructure. This makes a majority of the room before.

We do not want the government to go to the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague without a mandate

The cabinet has no plan and shifts the question of how these defense investments should be paid, on to the next cabinet. Why do you still support the enormous increase in defense expenditure?

« The fall of the cabinet has created a new situation. We do not want the Dutch government to go without a mandate to the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. There is still a great deal of unclear about the precise interpretation of that 3.5 percent: the timetable in which the norm must be taken, about European cooperation, about what it should be paid from. Such questions in all NAVO countries, not only in the Netherlands. »

The way in which the Netherlands is going to pay the defense mills is the deployment of the elections?

« Well, I didn’t think about it. There is simply a NATO summit in the Netherlands. As Minister of Foreign Affairs at the NATO summit in Wales, when it was decided, when it was decided to spend 2 percent of the GDP on Defense. After that everyone started to determine how that 2 percent had to be filled in, some countries there is still an exercise composing. elections. « 

You could have said much earlier that you are for that 3.5 percent?

« No, because in times of great international tension it cannot be that the cabinet is distributed at such a crucial point and that I will then provide a majority. But now that the cabinet has fallen and the outgoing government is saying to the room: we would like to commit to the new NATO standard on the NATO top, there is a new situation in which I can say the support of the support, but the support can be the support of the support, the support can be the support of the support, but the support can be the support of the support, the support can be the support, but We will have to talk of the amount because we think very differently than the right -wing parties. « 

In a defense plan that you presented for the fall of the cabinet, you stated that you increase the national debt, that the costs for business can rise and that the government must take an interest in the defense industry. Old-fashioned left views.

« On the part of the business community, I also hear that we should not stare blindly on the national debt-within the EU standards there is still a lot of room-and that there is some pressure on the economical budget policy. But what will be classic left-right is the discussion about which taxpayer will have to raise the most money. »

What Yesilgöz said was so exaggerated, such a ridiculization of the people I represent

In the meantime, the remainder of the coalition focused on the question of who gets what to say in the field of migration.

« Is that an observation or a question? »

Apparently the right thinks that voters are still worried about migration.

« I am not avoiding the discussion about migration. But I think it is my responsibility to give people in the Netherlands some solid ground again. And I think that really starts with international security. The world is on fire. We must ensure that we can defend ourselves better, but also that we can bring our tolerance, social solidarity and rule of law to a higher plan, so that Europe can keep the dictators of the dictators of the dictators’” ”” ”” ”” ”” ”” ”.” « 

VVD leader Yesilgöz said during her party congress that you have handed over the PvdA in the merger with GroenLinks to the « extreme left-old activist part » of that party.

« That was so exaggerated, such a ridiculization of the people I represent. We have more than one hundred thousand members in these two parties. And those people are so put away … what should I say? »

Yesilgöz operates in Wilders’ style?

« Those are your words. »

Does tomorrow start the debate about the NATO standard The 2025 election campaign?

« I think that campaign has already started. »

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