Netherlands face Rearm Europe - a shock for Brussels!

Netherlands face Rearm Europe - a shock for Brussels!

The Dutch Parliament set a clear sign on March 12, 2025 and spoke out with a majority against the controversial EU upgrade program "REAR Europe". FPÖ foreign policy spokeswoman NABG. Dr. Susanne Fürst welcomed this decision and described it as an "important and brave step" to counter the plans of the EU elites. The scope of the program, which comprises a volume of 800 billion euros, was criticized as devastating for the security of Europe. According to Fürst, this would not match the neutral position of Austria, since government parties themselves had already voted against the program in the Dutch parliament, which indicates a growing awareness of the dangers of armaments competitions, as ots.at reported.

In a subsequent debate in the European Parliament, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the critical situation of the European security structure. She emphasized that the times of the untouched peace were over and that a new consensus for security and defense is now necessary. The Leyen appealed to the EU member states to take responsibility and to strengthen military support for Ukraine in order to cope with the challenges of the Russian aggressor. As part of their "Rearm Europe" plan, new measures were presented to strengthen defense production in order to meet military requirements. According to the Leyen, this plan should have positive effects on both the security situation in Europe and the economic strength of the EU, such as germany. In summary, both the critical voices from the Netherlands and the Leyen's demands are the focus of a explosive discussion about the future of European security. The conflicts within the EU and the tightening geopolitical conditions cause both support and rejection in the community. The resistance to the planned upgrade measures illustrates the deep cracks in dealing with security policy challenges, which urgently need to be addressed in the EU.