Fear of further erosion of the international legal order
In the media image: Tingey Injury on Unsplash
A survey conducted by Clingendael shows widespread concern amoung the Dutch about the international legal order and global cooperation. Professor Larissa van den Herik understands these worries: ‘the shifting stance of the United States plays an important role.’
According to Van den Herik, the United States – for many decades Europe's main ally – is increasingly showing that it is less concerned with the international legal order as developed after World War II. Threats by President Trump to annex Greenland and the situation in Iran and Gaza add to the fears of many Dutch people that power politics is gaining ground. The survey by the research institute also shows that people are worried about the resilience of the Netherlands. They have little faith in the international legal order soon being restored.
That said, respondents draw hope from developments that contribute to the protection of the Netherlands, such as investments in defence and boosting our own industry. According to Van den Herik, stronger European cooperation is especially important. ‘What we need to do is strengthen the European Union as a power bloc through more internal cooperation,’ she argues. Cooperation with countries such as Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Canada is also essential, she says. 'This is how we can develop into a power strong enough to fill the gap the United States is now leaving behind, and how we can continue to support the international legal order.'
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Read the full NOS article (in Dutch)