The Netherlands and Europe need to reduce their dependence on the United States in order to deal with the threats from an increasingly unstable world, according to the government’s latest international security strategy.
The review, published by foreign affairs minister Tom Berendsen on Wednesday, calls on Europe to take charge of responsibility for the continent’s security by 2030.
“Investing in enhanced European security is not a choice, but a simple necessity,” Berendsen wrote.
The European defence industry should be producing its own version of the main conventional weapons systems or at least have them in development within four years, Berendsen said.
The cabinet is also exploring options for closer co-operation with France on nuclear deterrence.
The Netherlands needed to achieve a “burden shift” within Nato by working with “like-minded partners” to secure a stronger position for Europe within the alliance, particularly on the issue of securing its own borders.
Digital autonomy
The strategic review will be seen as a response to US president Donald Trump’s repeated threats not to come to the aid of European nations who “don’t pay” towards the alliance. In recent months he has vented his frustration at countries that refused to commit forces to the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran.
The Netherlands may need to restrict parts of its economy to secure the supply of essential resources such as minerals, energy, technology and defence materials, Berendsen added.
“Our motto remains: open where possible, closed where necessary. An open and competitive economy is better equipped to withstand shocks,” he wrote.
Europe also needs “a stronger autonomous position in the digital domain” to guarantee the cybersecurity of its citizens. Last month the government blocked the sale of the company that manages its online services portal, DigiD, to a US-based company amid concerns that it could compromise people’s digital records.
Berendsen said the non-proliferation treaty signed by 190 countries, designed to prevent the further development of nuclear weapons, remained a cornerstone of Dutch defence policy.
But he said: “A world free of nuclear weapons remains the ultimate goal, but as long as nuclear weapons exist Nato will remain a nuclear alliance.”
