EU enlargement timetable doubt as Dutch government falls

THE Dutch government collapsed last night throwing the timetable for EU enlargement into doubt. If the Nice Treaty is passed in Ireland this weekend the final hurdle for the 10 candidate countries will be the summit meeting of EU leaders in Copenhagen in December.

All 15 states must formally agree to accept the proposed 10 countries for membership to allow enlargement to go ahead in January 2004. However, the Dutch government in The Hague had not yet agreed on its position on admitting 10 countries and several government and opposition politicians have been speaking against the so-called big bang.

The collapse of the three-party coalition after less than three months in power was caused by internal feuding between the members of the List Pym Fortuyn party.

Mr Fortuyn, an openly gay politician who wanted the influx of immigrants into Holland stopped, was assassinated days before the May 15 election. His party of first-time politicians became the second-largest party in parliament on a tide of sympathy.

However, relations between two of their cabinet members, one of them the deputy prime minister, had deteriorated to such an extent there were personal rows at cabinet meetings. Both resigned their posts yesterday.

Yesterday Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende said the situation had become intolerable and he was last night expected to tender his resignation to Queen Beatrix.

She will have the option of refusing to accept it, as she did when veteran politician Wim Kok asked to resign a year ago. He continued in government until they resigned last April and elections were held in May.

Parliament is to meet next Wednesday before the first meeting of EU leaders in Brussels at the weekend to discuss their attitude to enlargement.

This debate in the parliament is expected to go ahead as two of the coalition parties are likely to form a minority interim government while elections are being called.

However, several Dutch politicians want to delay membership for some countries such as Poland because of its budgetary position and of some of the other countries because of corruption issues.

These problems were highlighted in the report on the candidate countries issued by the European Commission last week that recommended all 10 countries should be admitted in 2004.