Europe is united, says Schoof, but divisions remain back home

Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof has told reporters that Thursday’s meeting of European leaders about the Ukraine crisis was “constructive” and that despite Hungary’s refusal to sign one agreement, Europe is displaying unity.

Hungary refused to endorse an EU statement on Ukraine and Trump’s Russia-friendly negotiating stance which said “there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine.”

“Orban has his own ideas about how we can achieve peace,” Schoof said. “And that is allowed.”

Member states also endorsed the European Commission’s plan to allocate at least €800 billion over the coming four years for the defence of Europe, in the wake of the US decision to pull back.

The plan includes a €150 billion loan scheme secured against unused funds in the EU budget, plus more flexibility in the EU’s fiscal rules that could unlock €650 billion in new spending.

This could be done without playing around with European budgetary rules, Schoof said. “There is room to make exceptions within the current fiscal rules.”

Budget neutrality is a key part of the current Dutch coalition’s financial planning.

Despite Schoof’s assertion of unity, his own government is deeply divided. The far-right PVV and pro-countryside BBB have both said they do not support the Dutch decision to allocate a further €3.5 billion to Ukraine and want the measure to be part of the ongoing negotiations on the government’s spring financial statement.

The PVV health minister Fleur Agema, who says she was not aware of the €3.5 billion pledge, told reporters on Friday she wants to have a “tough talk” within the cabinet about the plan. BBB housing minister Mona Keijzer has made similar comments.

The PVV, BBB, and coalition partner NSC have also voted in favour of an opposition motion to block the EU defence project, although the motion’s status is unclear.

Diplomats have told the NRC that the Netherlands has become one of the “more unpredictable factors” in the discussion.