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WORLD NEWS Saturday 16 January 2021
The buck stops here: Dutch govt quits over welfare scandal

By MIKE CORDER when the country’s tax of-
Associated Press fice implemented a tough
THE HAGUE, Netherlands policy of tracking down
(AP) — Dutch Prime Minis- fraud with child welfare.
ter Mark Rutte and his en- A sitting minister, Eric
tire Cabinet resigned Friday Wiebes, who also was
to take political responsibil- linked to the scandal, said
ity for a scandal involving Friday he was resigning
investigations into child with immediate effect and
welfare payments that would not be part of the
wrongly labeled thousands caretaker administration.
of parents as fraudsters. At Friday’s Cabinet meet-
In a nationally televised ing, ministers decided their
speech, Rutte said he had reaction to a scathing par-
informed King Willem-Alex- liamentary report issued
ander of his decision and last month, titled “Unprece-
pledged that his govern- dented Injustice,” that said
ment would continue work the tax office policies vio-
to compensate affected lated “fundamental princi-
parents as quickly as possi- ples of the rule of law.” The
ble and to battle the coro- report also criticized the
navirus. government for the way
“We are of one mind that it provided information to
if the whole system has In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, file photo, Prime Minister Mark Rute, center left, and Dutch parliament about the scan-
failed, we all must take re- King Willem-Alexander, center, pose with the ministers for the official photo of the new Dutch dal.
sponsibility, and that has government on the steps of Royal Palace Noordeinde in The Hague, Netherlands. Many wrongfully accused
Associated Press
led to the conclusion that I parents were plunged into
have just offered the king, end a decade in office for The Netherlands is the third 9, and the government is debt when tax officials
the resignation of the entire Rutte, although his party is European country thrown considering imposing an demanded repayment of
Cabinet,” Rutte said. expected to win the elec- into political uncertainty overnight curfew amid payments. The government
Not long after delivering tion, putting him first in line this week in the midst of the fears about new, more has in the past apologized
his statement, Rutte got on to begin talks to form the coronavirus crisis. In Estonia, contagious variants of the for the tax office’s methods
his bicycle and rode to the next government. If he suc- the government resigned virus. and in March earmarked
king’s palace in a forest in ceeds in forming a new over a corruption scan- “To the Netherlands I say: 500 million euros ($607 mil-
The Hague to formally in- coalition, Rutte would most dal, while Italian Premier Our struggle against the lion) to compensate more
form the king. Dutch televi- likely again become prime Giuseppe Conte’s govern- coronavirus will continue,” than 20,000 parents.
sion showed him parking his minister. ing coalition is at risk of col- Rutte said. In a written reaction, the
bike at the bottom of steps Geert Wilders, leader of the lapse after a small partner Jesse Klaver, the leader of government pledged to re-
leading into the palace largest opposition party in party withdrew its support. one opposition party, told form the welfare system as
and walking inside. the Dutch parliament said Rutte said earlier this week national broadcaster NOS a result of the scandal and
The move was seen as it was the right decision for that his government would he would continue to sup- to quickly pay affected par-
largely symbolic; Rutte’s the government to quit. be able to keep taking port the government in its ents 30,000 euros ($36,300)
government will remain “Innocent people have tough policy decisions coronavirus campaign. and expand existing com-
in office in a caretaker been criminalized, their in the battle against the On Thursday, the leader of pensation schemes.
mode until a new coalition lives destroyed and parlia- coronavirus even if it were the opposition Labor Party “Everything is aimed at of-
is formed after a March 17 ment was informed about in caretaker mode. The stepped down because he fering the parents and their
election in the Netherlands. it inaccurately and incom- Netherlands is in a tough was minister of social affairs children a new start in life,”
The resignation brings to an pletely,” he tweeted. lockdown until at least Feb. in a coalition led by Rutte the government said.q

Turkish leader defiant on Russian system but wants U.S. jets

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s “I hope with Mr. Biden as- with Russia about a “sec-
president has criticized the suming office and with dis- ond package” of the S-400
United States for kicking cussions, he will take more surface-to-air missile system
his country out of the F-35 positive steps and we can and would discuss details
stealth jet program after straighten this out,” he add- at the end of the month.
Ankara purchased a Rus- ed. Turkey was removed Turkey received the first
sian missile defense system, from the F-35 program batch of the system in 2019
a move that also triggered even though it produced and tested it in the fall.
U.S. sanctions. some parts for the jets. The Washington also sanc-
Speaking after Friday U.S. said the Russian system tioned four Turkish defense
prayers in Istanbul, Turk- could jeopardize the safety officials last month under
ish President Recep Tayyip of the F-35s. the Countering America’s
Erdogan said Turkey paid The U.S. halted the training Adversaries Through Sanc-
“very serious money” for of Turkish pilots and said Tur- tions Act, a U.S. law aimed
the F-35 fighters but hasn’t key would not be allowed at thwarting Russian influ- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media
received them. to take final possession of ence. The sanctions, which after Friday prayers, in Istanbul, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021.
“This is a very serious mis- the four aircraft it bought. included a ban on issuing Associated Press
take that America, as an Erdogan remained defi- export licenses to Turkey’s the law was used to punish on the steps we will take for
allied country, has done to ant, saying the country Presidency of Defense In- a NATO ally. our defense industry,” Erdo-
us,” Erdogan said. was in continued dialogue dustries, were the first time “No country can decide gan said.q