Dutch Justice Minister
Ivo Opstelten and his state secretary, Fred Teeven, have resigned after
"misleading" or as a parliamentarian said "for blowing smoke" to members of parliament over a 2001 compensation payment to a convicted
drug trafficker.
The resignations are a blow to the conservative party VVD as it faces an election.
Mr Opstelten and Mr Teeven are both from the conservative wing of the party which governs the Netherlands together with the labor party, and is faces a challenge from Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party in provincial elections this month.
The resignations are also expected to place a strain on the Conservatives coalition with the Labour party, which has been very critical of Mr Opstelten and Mr Teeven.
This tidal wave of political unrest in the VVD-PVDA coalition could very well be"the straw that breaks the camels back" of the Dutch Government..
EU-Digest