31 January 2013

Washington Post: Dutch government - Countries must be allowed to exit European Union, European treaties, euro

The Dutch government says European countries should be allowed to exit important European institutions after joining them, including the European Union, the eurozone and the Schengen free travel zone.

In a letter to parliament, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said achieving that possibility will itself require treaty changes, because the Maastricht Treaty that established the euro and the Schengen Agreement don’t allow for exits.

On one side are those who believe Europe should aim to be an “ever closer union”, as laid out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome that founded the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union. On the other are sceptics who say that European politicians have already gone too far with poorly conceived plans. The few times citizens have ever been asked to approve European projects, they have usually voted “no” — notably when France and the Netherlands rejected a proposed European Constitution in 2005.

The question of exiting some treaties is not taboo on the continent. German and French politicians acknowledged in November 2011 it is possible Greece may have to leave the eurozone, and French and Dutch politicians in recent years have considered rejecting the Schengen treaty over concerns it cripples their ability to fight illegal immigration.

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