‘The voter wants fewer regulations and more work,’ is the conclusion of prime minister Mark Rutte following the success of fringe parties across Europe in the EU elections last week.

Rutte was speaking after a parliamentary debate on the meeting of European heads of state on Tuesday evening in Brussels, the Telegraaf reports.

‘The message to politicians in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe is that the EU should be involved in fewer matters,’ he said. ‘It should focus on where it can add value, for instance in creating jobs.’

He also thinks negative feelings about the EU are a question of identity. ‘Most people understand they are part of the EU, but they take their identity from Limburg, Twente, The Hague. That’s what they are proud of,’ he said.

New president

The heads of state will begin discussions on the new composition of the European Commission and who will be its president during Tuesday evening’s dinner.

Rutte told the Volkskrant he does not expect the new president to be announced until the end of June.

Who will succeed José Manuel Barosso was made one of the subjects of the EU elections when the European parliament said the candidate of the biggest party would be appointed.

That is Luxemburg’s Jean-Claude Juncker of the Christian Democrat Folks Party. However, the British prime minister David Cameron has already said he is not in favour.

Rutte says he would rather select a new president on the basis of what the heads of state expect from the candidate than have someone forced into the position by the European parliament.