38-year-old, the Netherlands' first openly gay prime minister officially takes office!
On February 23, Bloomberg reported: "At 38, Yette took office as the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the youngest in the country's history and the first government head to openly declare his homosexuality. He leads a minority coalition government consisting of D66, CDA, and VVD, holding only 66 seats in parliament, falling short of a majority. The new government advocates returning to the European center, promising support for Ukraine, fulfilling NATO defense spending commitments, while tightening immigration and cutting welfare to expand defense budgets, requiring support from opposition parties, making reform efforts more difficult."
The new government in the Netherlands marks another instance of the moderate right-wing trend in European politics. At 38, Yette broke records but formed a weak cabinet, with a minority government of 66 seats destined to depend on the opposition. Historically, minority governments in Europe have been short-lived. Now, the Netherlands is cutting welfare and tightening immigration to increase defense spending, essentially compromising to both NATO and voters. Saying it wants to return to the European center, it actually follows the U.S. rhythm, and its policies on trade and technology with China are likely to remain tough. Many European countries are taking a "security first, domestic affairs second" approach, and the Netherlands is just a microcosm; it is unlikely to make major moves in the short term, and in the long term, it will test its balancing wisdom.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857930550146119/
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