Netherlands' Queen Beatrix leads call for new elections
Wednesday 25 April 2012
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EmailThe Netherland's Queen Beatrix called on Wednesday for national elections on September 12, leaving the country with only a caretaker government for more than four months as it struggles to comply with EU budget rules.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his 18-month-old right-wing government resigned on Monday after failing to agree on billions of euros in government cuts required to get the Dutch deficit down from 4.6 per cent to 3 per cent of GDP next year.
All EU member states have until the end of the month to submit a draft 2013 budget and plan of economic reforms to Brussels under the EU's so-called Stability and Growth Pact.
Caretaker Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager met leaders of all political parties on Wednesday in a bid to find common ground on cuts ahead of a debate tomorrow.
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