Daily: Dutch unlikely to give in

The issue of the Serbian candidacy for EU membership is on Wednesday’s agenda of the Dutch government and parliament, Belgrade daily Novosti reported. Spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bart Rijs said the parliament would decide on the Serbian candidacy. Daily: Dutch unlikely to give in "As always, the government and parliament will discuss the issue of Serbian candidacy before the Council of Ministers meets. It is the parliament that makes the decision,” he pointed out. The Netherlands seems unrelenting. All EU countries have already agreed that Serbian request for EU candidacy should be submitted to the European Commission, which would then prepare an opinion, but without support of The Hague this will not mean much for Serbia. Persuasion and exhortation have not yielded results so far. Rijs, however, could not be definite about what kind of agreement would be reached following the visits of Serge Brammertz and Stefan Fuele. Everyone is keeping their cards close to the chest in the eve of the parliament session on Wednesday. Moreover, it is not unlikely to see it postponed until a new government is formed, since an agreement on forming the goverment has just been reached between leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Mark Rutte and Christian Democratic Party’s leader Maxime Verhagen, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs. Netherlands could get its new government only a day later, on Thursday, and probably, a new foreign minister as well. "It could change the parliamentary agenda and put back the debate on Serbia. I cannot comment on what will be the attitude of the Dutch parliament, because Brammertz and the Fuele did not pay their visit to the government, but our parliament, " Rijs said. The parties from the newly formed minority ruling coalition still do not officially declare the attitudes they are to take, but some MPs from the two center-right parties have voiced their dissatisfaction with what they heard from Serge Brammertz, who remains the most important source of information for this country. "In general, as was the case in the past, cooperation with The Hague tribunal is of utmost importance for the Netherlands," said Rijs. While awaiting the Dutch response, the Council of Ministers will meet on October 25 in Luxembourg where the presiding Belgians will not give up on their decision to help Serbia. “The issue of Serbian candidacy remains on the agenda,” Bart Ouvry, a spokesman for the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed to the daily Novosti. “It won’t be easy, but there is a ray of hope.” Ouvry said that consultations were ongoing. "Today, as in the past, it is not easy when it comes to the Netherlands. The discussion will certainly take place, but what the outcome would be, whether the decision would be made immediately or at one of the meetings that would follow, it is hard to tell," Ouvry said. The current state of affairs indicates the Netherlands is a bit closer to not giving a "green light" to Serbia, even though much more could change in two weeks time. The majority of parliamentarians in The Hague still hold the opinion that the current dynamics of conditioning Serbia should be kept and have not yet agreed to have this conditioning "transferred" to a next step of the European integrations. The Hague (B92) Far-right approval needed Belgrade daily Danas reports that the approval of Geert Wilders, a far-right politician who will support the minority government of the new PM Mark Rutte, will be necessary for the Netherlands to support Serbian candidacy for EU membership. The final Dutch stance should be announced on October 13. During the recent session of the Committee for European Affairs of the Dutch parliament, member of the Wilders' Party for Freedom Louis Bontes voiced a clear opinion: "We are against any enlargements of the EU." Judging by these views of the Party for Freedom, but also by Maxime Verhagen's move from the position of foreign minister to the more important one of the deputy prime minister, there is a good chance that the new Dutch government would not "soften" its attitude towards Serbia. The recent speech of Serge Brammertz before the Dutch parliament, during which he expressed his dissatisfaction with Serbian cooperation with The Hague tribunal, can be used as an argument against the Serbian candidacy. Still, both the Belgrade officials and Serbian EU integration experts hope to see a positive decision, given a generally supportive atmosphere within EU and possible pressure of several important EU members and the USA on the newly formed Dutch government. Diplomatic sources of Danas daily claim the chances that the Netherlands would support submission of Serbian candidacy, on a joint session of the Dutch government and parliament, are "slim". However, a change in the so far firm Dutch attitude is "not impossible, if backed by the USA and Germany, which in a way promised its support to Belgrade."

Daily: Dutch unlikely to give in

"As always, the government and parliament will discuss the issue of Serbian candidacy before the Council of Ministers meets. It is the parliament that makes the decision,” he pointed out.

The Netherlands seems unrelenting. All EU countries have already agreed that Serbian request for EU candidacy should be submitted to the European Commission, which would then prepare an opinion, but without support of The Hague this will not mean much for Serbia.

Persuasion and exhortation have not yielded results so far.

Rijs, however, could not be definite about what kind of agreement would be reached following the visits of Serge Brammertz and Stefan Fuele.

Everyone is keeping their cards close to the chest in the eve of the parliament session on Wednesday. Moreover, it is not unlikely to see it postponed until a new government is formed, since an agreement on forming the goverment has just been reached between leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Mark Rutte and Christian Democratic Party’s leader Maxime Verhagen, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Netherlands could get its new government only a day later, on Thursday, and probably, a new foreign minister as well.

"It could change the parliamentary agenda and put back the debate on Serbia. I cannot comment on what will be the attitude of the Dutch parliament, because Brammertz and the Fuele did not pay their visit to the government, but our parliament, " Rijs said.

The parties from the newly formed minority ruling coalition still do not officially declare the attitudes they are to take, but some MPs from the two center-right parties have voiced their dissatisfaction with what they heard from Serge Brammertz, who remains the most important source of information for this country.

"In general, as was the case in the past, cooperation with The Hague tribunal is of utmost importance for the Netherlands," said Rijs.

While awaiting the Dutch response, the Council of Ministers will meet on October 25 in Luxembourg where the presiding Belgians will not give up on their decision to help Serbia.

“The issue of Serbian candidacy remains on the agenda,” Bart Ouvry, a spokesman for the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed to the daily Novosti. “It won’t be easy, but there is a ray of hope.”

Ouvry said that consultations were ongoing.

"Today, as in the past, it is not easy when it comes to the Netherlands. The discussion will certainly take place, but what the outcome would be, whether the decision would be made immediately or at one of the meetings that would follow, it is hard to tell," Ouvry said.

The current state of affairs indicates the Netherlands is a bit closer to not giving a "green light" to Serbia, even though much more could change in two weeks time. The majority of parliamentarians in The Hague still hold the opinion that the current dynamics of conditioning Serbia should be kept and have not yet agreed to have this conditioning "transferred" to a next step of the European integrations.

Far-right approval needed

Belgrade daily Danas reports that the approval of Geert Wilders, a far-right politician who will support the minority government of the new PM Mark Rutte, will be necessary for the Netherlands to support Serbian candidacy for EU membership.

The final Dutch stance should be announced on October 13. During the recent session of the Committee for European Affairs of the Dutch parliament, member of the Wilders' Party for Freedom Louis Bontes voiced a clear opinion: "We are against any enlargements of the EU."

Judging by these views of the Party for Freedom, but also by Maxime Verhagen's move from the position of foreign minister to the more important one of the deputy prime minister, there is a good chance that the new Dutch government would not "soften" its attitude towards Serbia. The recent speech of Serge Brammertz before the Dutch parliament, during which he expressed his dissatisfaction with Serbian cooperation with The Hague tribunal, can be used as an argument against the Serbian candidacy.

Still, both the Belgrade officials and Serbian EU integration experts hope to see a positive decision, given a generally supportive atmosphere within EU and possible pressure of several important EU members and the USA on the newly formed Dutch government.

Diplomatic sources of Danas daily claim the chances that the Netherlands would support submission of Serbian candidacy, on a joint session of the Dutch government and parliament, are "slim". However, a change in the so far firm Dutch attitude is "not impossible, if backed by the USA and Germany, which in a way promised its support to Belgrade."