It has been confirmed that government talks on billions of euros’ worth of extra cutbacks have broken down. More spending cuts are needed to reduce the 2013 budget deficit to within the European Union limit – three percent of GDP.

Recriminations
Prime Minister Mark Rutte accuses Mr Wilders of lacking the political courage and the will to go through with an accord on the cuts. He said the result would probably be a general election.

He told a press conference that the Freedom Party leader had already agreed to a package of spending cuts which would have delivered a budget deficit of within three percent, and that money had been found to compensate somewhat for the reduction in purchasing power.

Mr Wilders says the accord would have hit economic growth, increased unemployment and damaged purchasing power, especially for people on pensions. He has withdrawn his support for the minority government and now wants elections “the sooner, the better”. He blamed the European Union, saying “we won’t let our pensioners bleed for Brussels”.

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RNW