The Dutch Parliament rejected the EU Commission’s planned military buildup plan on March 12, 2025, with a narrow majority. The plan, which aimed to significantly increase the defense spending of EU member states and allocate billions of investments in arms projects, had been approved by EU leaders, including the Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, just a week prior.
However, in a surprising turn of events, members of parliament from three of the four coalition parties opposed the plan. The Party for Freedom (PVV) of Geert Wilders, a well-known right-wing politician in the Netherlands, vehemently spoke out against the EU Commission’s proposals.
Wilders criticized the plan’s potential to be financed through an increase in national debt and called on Prime Minister Dick Schoof to retract his approval in Brussels. “That’s not how it works in a democracy” the PVV chief said in The Hague, emphasizing the political significance of the rejection.
The topic of defense strategy deepens the divisions within the Dutch government, particularly between the right and liberal factions. While the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which also includes NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, continues to support the EU’s military buildup plan, many of its lawmakers warn of the risks of a retreat from the plan. The VVD describes the move as an “irresponsible step” if the Dutch government were to change its position.
In the coming days, the government is expected to issue a final statement on the issue. However, the resistance within the parliament already shows the increasing political fragmentation in European defense policy issues.
The decision of the Dutch Parliament could have far-reaching implications for the future of the EU’s defense strategy, which appears increasingly urgent in the face of growing global tensions.