The EU needs to under-promise and over-deliver, says Dutch PM

Report of a speech and debate given by the Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Mark Rutte, in the European Parliament (EP) on the 13 June 2018 as part of the Parliament's Future of Europe debates. Mr Rutte's speech was the seventh in the series of debates between national leaders and MEPs.

Background

Against the background of the many challenges which the European Union had faced in recent years, the European Parliament launched and hosted a series of high-profile debates on the Future of Europe, intended to run for the whole of 2018. While the Heads of State or Government of countries holding the rotating presidency of the Council during the year, Boyko Borissov of Bulgaria and Sebastian Kurz of Austria – routinely debated with MEPs in plenary, the leaders of other EU Member States were also able to set out publicly their vision for Europe's future in a dialogue with the only directly elected European institution, during its plenary sittings.

The Netherlands: Government: Document: Speech, 13.06.18: Speech by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the future of the European Union - European Parliament, Strasbourg https://www.government.nl/documents/speeches/2018/06/13/speech-by-mark-rutte-prime-minister-of-the-netherlands-european-parliament-strasbourg

Deutsche Welle, 13.06.18: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says more EU is not the answer https://p.dw.com/p/2zVhz

Politico, 13.06.18: Dutch PM doubles down on smaller budget, stricter EU rules https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-dutch-prime-minister-european-parliament-speech-future-of-europe-smaller-budget-stricter-eu-rules/

EurActiv, 13.06.18: Rutte rejects Commission’s new funds for monetary union https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/rutte-rejects-commissions-new-funds-for-monetary-union/

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