Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Friday 27 OctOber 2017
Rutte presents his 3rd government; moves Dutch to the right

The coalition is made up Beyond cutting taxes, Rutte
of Rutte’s liberal VVD, the is expected to try to tough-
centrist D66, the Christian en up immigration rules.
Democrats and the faith- That’s the issue on which
based Christian Union par- Geert Wilders, the anti-Is-
ty. lam lawmaker whose Party
The March 15 election for Freedom is the second-
gave the coalition a nar- largest in parliament, built
row one-seat majority in his base.
the 150-seat lower house of The coalition wants to stem
the Dutch parliament. the number of migrants
“That’s a very small major- seeking to resettle in the
ity. If only two members Netherlands for economic
of the parliament, if they reasons.
switch, that could mean It also plans to cut the
the end of this govern- length of initial residency
ment,” pollster and politi- permits for successful asy-
cal commentator Maurice lum-seekers from five years
de Hond said. to three, and do more to
European Council Presi- compel newcomers to bet-
dent Donald Tusk congrat- ter integrate into Dutch so-
ulated Rutte and said he ciety.
was convinced the EU’s To promote Dutch national
founding nation “will con- identity, all school children
Prime Minister Mark Rute, left, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, center, and vice Prime Minister Hugo
de Jonge, right, pose with other ministers for the official photo of the new Dutch government on tinue playing a dynamic will be taught the words
the steps of Royal Palace Noordeinde in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. and constructive role in the and historical context of
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong) European Union.” the national anthem.q
By ALEX FURTULA lands further to the right.
RAF CASERT The new center-right coali-
Associated Press tion is expected to focus
THE HAGUE, Netherlands on tax cuts after years of
(AP) — Dutch Prime Minis- austerity and measures to
ter Mark Rutte presented contain immigration.
his third government Thurs- Rutte jettisoned the social-
day, a new coalition that ists from his team in forming
is set to move the Nether- the new government.

German coalition negotiators

vow pro-European approach

BERLIN (AP) — The potential said the parties still need to
partners in Germany’s next hold more discussions on is-
government stressed Thurs- sues such as the European
day their joint wish to form Union’s relationship with
a pro-European adminis- Turkey. The conservatives
tration that nurtures strong have long argued that Tur-
ties with France, though key ultimately shouldn’t join
they gave few details as the EU.
they began tackling tricky Nonetheless, “it is very clear
policy issues. for all of us that we want a
Last month’s election left strong, united Europe, and
Chancellor Angela Merkel that as the basis of that we
trying to form an unprec- see close cooperation with
edented coalition that France,” he told report-
brings together her conser- ers during a break in talks.
vative Union bloc, the pro- “But of course what mat-
business Free Democrats ters is with what aims, with
and the traditionally left- what issues that can be
leaning Greens. achieved.”
Exploratory talks started His counterpart from the
last week. On Thursday, ne- Free Democrats, Nicola
gotiators began tackling Beer, underlined the desire
the thorny topics that di- to bolster the EU and rela-
vide them — including im- tions with France. However,
migration, with conserva- her party has long talked
tives pushing hard to limit tough on aid to struggling
the number of migrants the eurozone countries, and
country accepts. Beer stressed its insistence
Peter Tauber, the general that “there should be no
secretary of Merkel’s Chris- automatic (financial) trans-
tian Democratic Union, fers.” q