The Dutch government on Friday won the support of several small
opposition parties needed to push through a fresh round of austerity
cuts, averting a budget crisis.
The centre-right coalition of Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte concluded several days of negotiations with an agreement to trim away an additional 6 billion euros ($ 8.12 billion) in government spending in 2014.
Dutch news agency ANP said a deal was reached between the government, which lacks a majority in the Senate, and two small Christian parties - the Christian Union and the conservative SGP - as well as the right-of-centre Democrats 66.
The cuts are needed to bring the Netherlands in line with the European Union's 3 percent budget deficit target.
Dutch finance minister and Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem cancelled a trip to the annual IMF meetings in Washington this week to focus on the negotiations.
Read more: Dutch government averts budget crisis with support of small parties - World | The Star Online
The centre-right coalition of Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte concluded several days of negotiations with an agreement to trim away an additional 6 billion euros ($ 8.12 billion) in government spending in 2014.
Dutch news agency ANP said a deal was reached between the government, which lacks a majority in the Senate, and two small Christian parties - the Christian Union and the conservative SGP - as well as the right-of-centre Democrats 66.
The cuts are needed to bring the Netherlands in line with the European Union's 3 percent budget deficit target.
Dutch finance minister and Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem cancelled a trip to the annual IMF meetings in Washington this week to focus on the negotiations.
Read more: Dutch government averts budget crisis with support of small parties - World | The Star Online
