The Netherlands' likely new PM is a Eurosceptic

ConservativeInternational is indebted to the Open Europe think tank for revealing the Eurosceptic instincts of the man likely to be the new Dutch Prime Minister.

Mark Rutte has said:

• "Europe is not a kind of idealistic project. I'm not awake every morning with 27 stars and a European flag over my head. For me, Europe is a pragmatic project that gives us many benefits and should remain so."
• In arguing for a "half-price EU" he says that the "whole system of structural and cohesion funds is largely circulation of money."

And this is the party's official position:

"The VVD doesn’t want a "European superstate". We want a Europe that functions. Therefore, we don’t need a Constitution, but an EU which limits itself to its core tasks and offers solutions for the 21st century. The solutions of the former century were about agriculture and regional subsidies. In this century it is about climate and energy, asylum and migration flows and fighting terrorism. Therefore we need to go back to what we have: the current Treaties (the Treaty of Nice)."

Here's the original Open Europe blog and here is CI's post on the outcome of Wednesday's Dutch elections.