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Transatlanticist with good hands. What else is known about the new NATO Secretary General

2024-06-28

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Andrey Zvorykin

[REGNUM] On June 26, 2024, it became known that on October 2 of this year, the new, fourteenth Secretary General of NATO will be the former head of the government of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, who recently resigned as prime minister of the kingdom.

There has been speculation for quite some time about who will replace the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, who was Secretary General for almost ten years, in the combat post of head of the “defensive” (as he positions himself) alliance.

The London Telegraph two years ago confidently wrote that ex-Prime Minister and catalyst of the Ukrainian conflict Boris Johnson would sit in the post of Secretary General. The Canadian CBC predicted the “secretary general” for the head of the Canadian Ministry of Finance, the ethnic Ukrainian Chrystia Freeland.

Up until a certain point, there were two more ladies on the shortlist: former British Prime Minister Theresa May and her current Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas. In general, the transformation of the alliance into a "women's kingdom" was the most common forecast, and it was the Baltic women who were mentioned most often: former Lithuanian Prime Minister Dalia Grybauskaite and former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid were mentioned. In addition, it was said that the Balkans could be encouraged by inviting former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic as Secretary General.

But the four main players in the alliance – the USA, Britain, France and Germany – came out in support of the man from Old Europe – Mark Rutte.

“I know that I am leaving NATO in good hands,” Jens Stoltenberg commented on the appointment on the social network X (formerly Twitter). Why would a Norwegian hand over his post to a Dutchman?

AN OLD BACHELOR WITH A TEFLON REPUTATION
Mark Rutte was born on February 14, 1967 in The Hague, the birthplace of the artist Vermeer, the group Shocking Blue, and one of the de facto capitals of the kingdom: the parliament and the cabinet of ministers sit in The Hague, and the royal residence is also located here. But what is more important is that the headquarters of globalist and Atlanticist structures, about one hundred and fifty in number, are concentrated here. In this “city of peace and justice” (the official title of The Hague), the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sat, Slobodan Milosevic died here, and the headquarters of the International Criminal Court are also here.

Rutte, who had a successful career that earned him the nickname "Teflon Mark," was an early graduate of the globalist school. The future prime minister was born into a family of one of the country's richest citizens, the director of a large trading company that made money in the colony of the Netherlands East Indies, now Indonesia.

The family professed rather strict religious views of the Calvinist persuasion, Mark was the seventh child. The future politician received a history education, graduating in 1992 from Leiden University with a corresponding specialization. After completing his studies, he worked at Unilever, a company engaged in the production of food and household chemicals (and at the same time demonstratively caring for the environment), as a personnel manager. Since 2008, he has taught courses in sociology at the Jan de Witt College in his native The Hague.

At the same time, Mark Rutte began his political career. While still a student, the future prime minister headed the youth organization of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (NPSD). From 1993 to 1997, he was a member of the party's Executive Council.

The NPSD was created in 1948 on the basis of the conservative-liberal Freedom Party and several leaders of the Labor Party who left the latter because, in their opinion, it was too socialist. For most of the time since its founding (53 out of 75 years, from 1948 to 2023), the NPSD has been part of the ruling coalition, which was achieved due to the “half-hearted” liberal-conservative ideological direction of the party, divided by this factor into two approximately equal wings. Mark Rutte considers himself to be on the liberal wing.

In 2002–2004 he served as Secretary of State (deputy minister participating in government meetings) of labor and social protection, and after, until 2006, the formation in the government of Jan Peter Balkenende, a leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party, the NPSD was a partner in the ruling coalition. At the same time, since 2003, Rutte occupied the seat of a deputy in the lower house of parliament.

In 2006, after the resignation of Josias van Aertsen, the previous chairman of the NPSD, Rutte nominated himself for this post, his main opponent was Rita Verdonk, a figure in the conservative wing of the party. During the voting, Mark won, gaining 52% of the votes against 46% for Verdonk. The following year, 2007, Rita Verdonk was expelled from the ranks of the NPSD.

The reason was that Verdonk accused her party and parliamentary colleague, Somali migrant and feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, of either not having received Dutch citizenship or having received it with violations. Ali's documents were corrected, the conservative Verdonk was ostracized, and "Teflon Mark", who did not interfere in the scandal, came out on top.

Let us add that Rutte’s personal reputation also seems to be unblemished – the unmarried and childless politician has nevertheless not been suspected of anything reprehensible, unlike, for example, the married family man Donald Trump.

COVID ALMOST RUINED CAREER
In 2010, Rutte led the party in the parliamentary elections and was declared the winner of the televised debates. In his election program, the liberal Rutte played with nationalist and left-wing populist agendas: he promised to tighten immigration laws, raise the retirement age and reduce benefits for immigrants, and to use the freed-up money to combat the consequences of the 2008 economic crisis.

In the October 2010 elections, the PPSD won 20% of the vote and 31 seats (9 more than before) in the second chamber of parliament. On October 14, Queen Beatrix announced the appointment of Mark Rutte as Prime Minister of the country. A coalition government of the NPSD and the Christian Democratic Party was immediately formed.

Subsequently, Mark Rutte resigned from his post and returned to it three more times: in 2012, due to disagreements over the formation of the budget, the coalition split and Rutte had to reorganize the cabinet, this time together with the Labor Party. In 2017, regular parliamentary elections were held, as a result of which Rutte again headed the cabinet.

Finally, in 2021, his government resigned again as a result of mass protests caused by anti-coronavirus measures. However, in the early elections, the cabinet of the winning coalition was again headed by Mark Rutte. In all of the above cases, between elections, Rutte led the country as acting head of government.

On 7 July 2023, Rutte submitted his resignation to King Willem-Alexander due to disagreements with the Christian Union, a coalition party, on the migration issue: the Christian Union refused to support measures to restrict migration to the Netherlands put forward by the NPSD. On 14 August, Rutte also resigned as party chairman. However, following the November 2023 elections, a new government was not formed due to the impossibility of forming a coalition, so Mark Rutte is still acting Prime Minister.

A STAUNCH PRO-UKRAINIAN
The politician was first offered the post of NATO Secretary General back in January 2023, but then Mark Rutte refused, citing a desire to end his political career after the end of his next term. However, after his resignation in July of that year, Rutte returned to the proposal.

In February 2024, it became known that the Dutch politician was the main contender for the post of Secretary General, his candidacy was supported by 28 of the 32 member countries of the alliance. The current Secretary General of the organization, former Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg, announced his resignation on October 2, 2024. In June 2024, all members of the alliance confirmed Rutte's candidacy.

It is worth mentioning that the Dutch politician, while serving as prime minister, ardently supported Ukraine back in 2014.

On March 1, 2022, almost immediately after the start of the SVO, Rutte signed a bilateral security agreement with Vladimir Zelensky, promising to provide financial assistance. Rutte also warmly supported the recent summit in Switzerland, saying that Russia has no right to participate in it until it “complies with international principles.”

"Mark is a true transatlanticist, a decisive leader and a consensus builder," Stoltenberg, his predecessor, said of Rutte.

Rutte himself said the following during his April visit to Lithuania:

"It is vital that NATO maintains deterrence, that we all understand that this border of the Baltics and other countries on the eastern flank with Belarus and Russia is our collective border... First of all, this means that we all spend at least 2 percent (of GDP) on defense. This also means strengthening the defense of the eastern flank."

So there is no need to expect any changes in the alliance’s policy towards Russia. It was in this spirit that Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov assessed the appointment:

“It is unlikely that this choice will change anything in the general line of NATO and the members of the Atlantic alliance.”

Link

Afghanistan

Dutch become 1st NATO member to quit Afghanistan

2010-08-02

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Netherlands became the first NATO country to end its combat mission in Afghanistan, drawing the curtain Sunday on a four-year operation that was deeply unpopular at home and even brought down a Dutch government.

The departure of the small force of nearly 1,900 Dutch troops is not expected to affect conditions on the ground. But it is politically significant because it comes at a time of rising casualties and growing doubts about the war in NATO capitals, even as allied troops are beginning what could be the decisive campaign of the war.

Canada has announced it will withdraw its 2,700 troops in 2011 and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has promised to pull out his countrys 2,600 soldiers the year after.

That is likely to put pressure on other European governments such as Germany and Britain to scale back their forces, adding to the burden shouldered by the United States, which expects to have 100,000 troops here by the end of next month.

If NATO doesn't want to be there, fine. But we'll need to draw forces from somewhere to make up for it. I suggest our remaining forces in Europe should be drawn down even further. We can keep the hospitals and airfields in Germany and the naval bases in Italy, but eventually Europe has to defend itself. If they don't want to do it in Afghanistan they can do it at home.

I don't say this in anger: the Euros helped out in Afghanistan, and we should acknowledge that. But there's still work to be done there, and if the Euros can't help us any more, then they have to pick up the slack elsewhere. Iraq is done. There's no large scale fighting elsewhere. The Euros don't have enough of a combined navy to do anything off Somalia. So they can defend the home front and we'll pull our forces. Seems like the best we can do for now.

The Dutch departure was sealed after Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenendes government collapsed earlier this year over disagreement among coalition members on whether to keep troops in Afghanistan longer. His Christian Democrat party suffered heavy losses at parliamentary elections in June.

Twenty-four Dutch soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2006. Most of the Dutch soldiers were based in the central province of Uruzgan, where they will be replaced by soldiers from the U.S., Australia, Slovakia and Singapore.

The Dutch pioneered a strategy they called 3D defense, diplomacy and development that involved fighting the Taliban while at the same time building close contacts with local tribal elders and setting up numerous development projects.

Dutch troops, some of them riding bicycles, mingled closely with the local population and often did not wear helmets while walking around towns and villages as a way of winning the trust of wary local tribes.

The international community and NATO are helping Afghanistan to stand on its own legs so the country can defend itself against extremists who want to use it as a breeding ground for global terrorism, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said in a message to Dutch troops.

NATO spokesman Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz played down the significance of the Dutch move, saying it did not signal a weakening of coalition resolve.

The overall force posture of (NATO) and of the Afghan security forces is increasing, Blotz told reporters. He noted the surge of mostly U.S. forces that have recently taken control of key areas in Helmand and Kandahar provinces from British and Canadian forces.

Link

Europe

20-seat loss forces early exit for Dutch PM as party leader

2010-06-10

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende resigned Wednesday as leader of the Christian Democratic Alliance after exit polls from the country's national elections projected that his party would lose 20 of its 41 parliamentary seats.

Balkenende, who also gave up his seat in parliament, will remain in office as prime minister until a new coalition government is formed, said Xander van der Wulp, political editor for CNN affiliate NOS.

That process could take months because no clear winner was projected in Wednesday's elections.

The exit polls showed the center-right Liberal Party and center-left Labor Party tying with 31 seats each, while the far-right, anti-Islam Freedom Party of controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders more than doubled its seats, going from nine to 23 -- far ahead of analyst expectations.

With its strong showing at the polls, there was speculation that the Freedom Party could play a role in a forthcoming coalition government.

Link

Europe

Wilders three seats ahead of rivals in Dutch poll

2010-03-07

The Freedom Party (PVV) of anti-immigrant leader Geert Wilders moved three seats ahead of its rivals in a new Dutch election poll on Sunday, as support for the Christian Democrats (CDA) of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende continued to slip. The Maurice de Hond poll put the PVV on 27 seats in the June 9 national elections, while the CDA and the Labour Party (PvdA) were both on 24 seats. The poll also showed that none of the three most likely coalitions would be able to form a majority government without reaching across lines to a fourth or fifth party.

In local council polls on March 3, Wilders made substantial gains, positioning him to do well in the national election. Balkenende's Christian Democrats were seen as the biggest loser in the council voting. There has been heavy speculation since then in the Dutch press that the party might change course and name Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings to lead it into the election.

The current government collapsed February 20 after Labour pulled out of the CDA-led coalition in a dispute over the Dutch mission in Afghanistan.

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Europe

Dutch anti-Islamist leader is major winner in polls

2010-03-04

Dutch anti-Islamist leader Geert Wilders scored major gains in local authority polls Thursday, making him a serious challenger for power in a June national election, preliminary results showed.

In the first test of public opinion since the collapse of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's coalition government last month, Wilders's Freedom Party (PVV) led in the city of Almere and was second in The Hague. The results came on top of an opinion poll showing that the PVV, which campaigns against Muslim immigration as its main platform, would win the most seats -- 27 in the 150-member Dutch parliament -- in the June 9 election.

That would make it tough for Balkenende's Christian Democrats, projected to win one seat less, to forge a strong coalition without Wilders. Months of talks between parties, and the resulting policy vacuum, could threaten a fragile economic recovery and cast doubt on the scope of planned budget cuts.

"The leftist elite still believes in multi-culturalism, coddling criminals, a European super-state and high taxes," Wilders told cheering supporters at a rally in Almere after polling ended Wednesday. "But the rest of the Netherlands thinks differently. That silent majority now has a voice," he said.

Andre Krouwel, professor of political science at Vrije University in Amsterdam, said: "You can see there's a lot of discontent in the electorate. Clearly Wilders is going to use these results as a stepping stone for national elections."

Balkenende, now heading a caretaker government, saw his coalition collapse on February 20 after his center-right Christian Democrats failed to persuade their Labor Party partners to extend the Netherlands' military mission in Afghanistan. The collapse was the fourth for a cabinet led by Balkenende in eight years.

Link

Afghanistan

Dutch troops to leave Afghanistan this year: PM

2010-02-22

AMSTERDAM - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende says Dutch troops are likely to leave Afghanistan this year. He was speaking Sunday, a day after his government collapsed when a coalition partner insisted the Dutch troops leave in August as planned.

The Dutch troops will have to work overtime to get through their To Do list before they leave, then. Happy hunting, guys!

Balkenende had wanted to accept a NATO appeal for the 1,600 troops to stay on for another year, at least to train Afghan army and police.

Asked about the deployment on Dutch television, Balkenende said his caretaker government is not empowered to take controversial decisions such as agreeing to an extension in Afghanistan.

In a lengthy debate in parliament before the government fell, most of the 150-member house was in favor of pulling out of Afghanistan.

Link

Europe

Dutch government falls over Afghan mission

2010-02-20

THE Dutch government has collapsed, the prime minister said, after members of the coalition government failed to agree on a NATO request to extend the Netherlands' military mission in Afghanistan.

"Later today, I will will offer to her majesty the Queen the resignations of the ministers and deputy ministers of the (Labour Party) PvdA," premier Jan Peter Balkenende said.

He made the announcement after the cabinet held more than 16 hours of talks in The Hague to try to settle the dispute.

The PvdA is one of three parties in the coalition government, with Balkenende's Christian Democratic Appeal the senior partner.

The Wall Street Journal carries a more extensive AP article. Highlights:

1,600 Dutch soldiers currently in Afghanistan, in southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, there since 2006 for an original 2-year commitment already extended to next August

Plus a civilian contractor or two that I'm aware of, and no doubt other etceteras that I'm not...

Prime Minister Balkenende announced that the second largest party in his three-party alliance is quitting, in a breakdown of trust in what had always been an uneasy partnership.

Balkenende said his center-right Christian Democratic Alliance would continue in office together with the small Christian Union, and would ``make available'' Labor's cabinet seats.

The coalition is in third year of a four-year term. Balkenende has been prime minister since 2002, but he resigned twice before because of the country's fractious political alignments.

Labor demanded that Dutch troops leave Uruzgan as scheduled. Christian Dems wanted to keep a trimmed down military presence, where 21 soldiers have been killed.

An election could result in a further rise in power of the anti-immigrant populist Geert Wilders, whose ranking in the polls rivals Balkenende's.

Note: this is the Geert Wilders who is currently on trial for saying mean, albeit true, things about Islam and jihadis.

Opinion polls say the Afghan war is deeply unpopular

But MP Wilders' popularity suggests that drilling down in those poll results could give results those who sponsored the polls don't want to hear.

Link

Europe

Netherlands: Gov't to ban cousin marriages

2009-09-19

The Dutch cabinet wants to ban marriages between cousins and to introduce harsher educational requirements for import brides, PM Jan Peter Balkenende told the Parliament Thursday.

According to the PM the ban on cousin marriages will include partners from abroad as well as people in the Netherlands. For the latter the cabinet will add the ban to the Dutch family law.

Additionally he wants to change the naturalization tests for people from abroad to be more similar to the Dutch schooling requirements. The parliament will be informed about this issue later by minister Eberhard van der Laan (integration).

Link

Afghanistan

Outgoing NATO SecGen criticises NATO's Afghanistan approach

2009-06-18

In an interview with Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland, NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer argued that the alliance's approach to the reconstruction of Afghanistan was misguided. He believes that making individual member states responsible for specific provinces hindered international cooperation.

De Hoop Scheffer, who is stepping down from his position on 31 July, added "the fact that all countries think they are champions of reconstruction obstructed actual civil and military cooperation. Every country was out for itself. Looking back, I would have gone for a closer combination of military effort and reconstruction. Perhaps I should have judged that better five years ago."

Perhaps.

De Hoop Scheffer was appointed head of NATO in 2004, not long after it took over leadership of the allied campaign in Afghanistan.

Despite what he calls 'Herculean' challenges, he insists that NATO has made significant improvements in Afghanistan. "There are schools, economic activity and roads are being built." He believes NATO has successfully managed to respect Afghan culture and religion.

Integrity
The NATO chief defends himself against claims that his appointment was a reward for Dutch support for the US-led invasion of Iraq. "That is patent nonsense," he said. "Do you really think President Chirac or Chancellor Schröder would have approved my appointment because the Netherlands supported George Bush's policies? That would be an enormous overestimation of my and the Netherlands' importance."

Asked whether his appointment can be regarded separately from Dutch support for the war, he admitted "if the Netherlands had been against the invasion of Iraq that would not have improved my chances. But the insinuation that it supported the war to ensure my appointment is an insult to my integrity and I resent that. It was a political decision made in the Netherlands at the time, one which I still support."

De Hoop Scheffer said he is certain that the parliamentary committee investigating the decision-making process behind the Netherlands' support for the invasion of Iraq will agree with him. The Davids' committee was set up in January 2009 by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

I, too, always readdress decisions taken the better part of a decade ago, which I believe were correct.

The NATO chief also talked about his future and his relationship with presidents Bush and Obama. "I think you'll be seeing my face pop up again on the international stage."

Link

Europe

Car hits crowd at Dutch parade; kills 4, hurts 13

2009-04-30

NEWS UPDATE -- Dutch authorities say four people were killed and 13 injured when a car careened, apparently deliberately, into a crowd watching Queen Beatrix and her family at a holiday parade.
Prosecutor L. Goossens says the incident appeared to be deliberate, but not an act of terrorism.

He told reporters Thursday the driver of the car was injured and was in police custody in the hospital. Eight of the injured were in serious condition.

The small black car plowed through a line of spectators then slammed into a stone monument just a few meters from the open bus where the queen and the royal family were being greeted by the crowd.

APELDOORN, Netherlands (AP)--A speeding car raced toward an open bus carrying Dutch Queen Beatrix and her family during a holiday parade Thursday and careened through spectators. Dutch television said two people were killed and about a dozen injured, but police in Apeldoorn declined to confirm the casualty toll or to say whether the incident was a deliberate attack on the royal family.

The small black car appeared to be heading at high speed toward the royal bus and passed within a few meters of it before plowing into a stone monument. The incident was witnessed by The Associated Press.

People were seen flying through the air after the car swerved across police railings, where the crowd was lined up five or six deep to see the immensely popular royal family pass on its way to the Het Loo palace on the Queen's Day national holiday.

It was not clear how the car managed enter the parade area, which police had sealed off hours before.

Police officers removed a man, who was slumped against his seat with blood covering his forehead, from the vehicle and put him into an ambulance. Other officers gave medical aid to spectators before they were taken to hospital.

"We are all deeply shocked by the terrible events," said Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. "People have been injured, seriously injured, and we must fear worse to come," he said.

Shortly after the incident, investigators and a sniffer dog examined the car for explosives, then sawed off the roof of the car for a closer inspection.

The TV initially put the number of casualties at 14 before reporting two fatalities.

Dutch television footage showed Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife, Princess Maxima, standing at their seats in the bus's high open platform and watching with surprise. Maxima held her hand over her mouth in apparent horror. The bus was not hit and no one in the queen's entourage was injured.

A policeman narrowly escaped injury when he jumped off his bicycle to avoid being hit.

Apeldoorn Mayor Fred de Graaf said all festivities were being canceled. "The scare and the images that the family has seen are reason to break off the official program," he said. Holiday programs also were called off in the port city of Rotterdam, and more were likely to be canceled around the country.

Journalist Peter von de Vorst told RTL television that the bizarre incident was like watching a horrible movie. "It was a really nice day. Then you hear a bang. Everyone looks up and you see people indeed flying through the air. This must be a joke or a strange prank. Then suddenly panic, and you realize that something really terrible has happened," he said.

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the main Dutch cities on Wednesday night and Thursday to celebrate the national holiday, originally intended to celebrate the birthday of Beatrix's mother Queen Juliana.

The royal family normally spends the day in a small Dutch community.

Link

Europe

Does freedom of expression have a future in the Netherlands?

2008-06-21

Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and a majority of MPs say the arrest of cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot (a pseudonym) was not politically motivated. However, some of the opposition could not disagree more and fear that freedom of expression is being curtailed.

What in the Netherlands was considered a large number of police officers arrived on 13 May to arrest Nekschot, who was then held for a day and a half. His cartoons were the reason for his arrest: it was said they were an incitement to hate and violence and were discriminatory. The arrest caused a commotion both inside the political world of The Hague and in the country at large. The Netherlands has a tradition of freedom of expression. For centuries, the boundaries of what may be said or written have been set wide, even if this is hurtful or difficult for politicians, the church or individuals. The arrest of Nekschot does not fit in with this tradition. The question arises whether the policy of the prosecution service or the justice ministry has changed. Minister Hirsch Ballin denies there is any change. However, freedom of speech has been under pressure since the murder of film-maker Theo van Gogh on 2 November 2004 who, together with Ayaan Hirsi Ali made Submission, a film about the oppression of women by conservative Muslim men. Threats against figures including politicians, because of their criticism of, for example, Islam, have breathed new life into discussions about where the limits to freedom of expression should be set.

There can be said to be two basic views:
a) unlimited freedom of expression, and
b) the judicious limiting of freedom of expression in not always saying what one thinks.

The government supports the latter view and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has, on more than one occasion, called upon right-wing MP Geert Wilders to exercise restraint in connection with his film, Fitna, which suggested terrorism was innately connected with Islam. Mr Balkenende believed Mr Wilders should consider the possible consequences of the film. Certain political parties reject the prime minister's standpoint, arguing it will lead to self-censorship and a weakening of the freedom of expression. The conservative VVD party is especially angry with Minister Hirsch Ballin for doing nothing to stop the cartoonist Nekschot from being arrested.

In a letter to parliament, Mr Hirsch Ballin admits that he was consulted seven times about the Nekschot case by the prosecution authorities. VVD leader Mark Rutte says the minister's inaction suggests the case was a political arrest. However, Mr Rutte declined to table a no-confidence motion against the minister despite being challenged to do so. The idea that Mr Hirsch Ballin is aiming to limit freedom of expression is strengthened by the fact that the Nekschot case is not a one-off. During a debate in parliament on Thursday, it surfaced that an internet website, which publishes articles including some critical of Islam, has received a letter from the police asking that someone attend a police station as a matter of urgency to explain the content of the site.

Link

Europe

Netherlands to continue with EU treaty ratification

2008-06-14

(Xinhua) -- The Netherlands will press ahead with ratifying the European Union (EU)'s Lisbon Treaty although Irish voters had said "No" to it, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Friday.

He said the result of the Irish referendum is disappointing but will be discussed by EU leaders next week when they meet in Brussels, Dutch media reported. Any statements before then would be premature, he added.

The lower house of the Dutch parliament approved the treaty on June 5 and the upper house is due to complete its deliberations before the summer.

The Lisbon treaty replaces the European Constitution Treaty, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referenda in 2005.The new treaty is supposed to amend existing EU treaties and to make the 27-nation bloc more efficient and democratic. Had all EU member countries ratify it by the end of this year, the Lisbon Treaty would come into effect on January 1 next year ahead of elections of the European Parliament.

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