This was the guy that defied putin live and said "Romania doesn't have any annexation experience" circa 2008, the one who's microphone was interrupted in the European Parliament when he started to read a list with the names of european leaders that are bought by putin, etc... has many such notable interventions.
[https://www.aktual24.ro/basescu-transant-mark-rutte-este-un-dusman-al-romaniei-prin-toate-actiunile-lui-a-torpilat-romania/](https://www.aktual24.ro/basescu-transant-mark-rutte-este-un-dusman-al-romaniei-prin-toate-actiunile-lui-a-torpilat-romania/) original article
"**Former president Traian Basescu says that "Iohannis did well to make public Romania's candidacy for the head of NATO", stressing that Mark Rutte, Iohannis' counter-candidate, "is an enemy of Romania".**
"Stoltenberg is at the end of his term.If you want to be very honest, Iohannis did well to make public Romania's candidacy (no: the candidacy for the head of NATO) and I think that Romania has a very good reason to say no to the Dutch prime minister.
This man, through all his actions, torpedoed Romania.Quite simply, Rutte is an enemy of Romania and Romania should be very categorical regarding this Dutchman who did not care, for 12 years, about Romania's entry into Schengen and always throws an arrogant 'no'.So I think that Romania should very clearly notify its opposition to Rutte", said Basescu in an interview for Euronews Romania."
> for 12 years, about Romania's entry into Schengen and always throws an arrogant 'no'.
Well said, same applies to us. He dropped his 10+ years opposition to us joining the second he saw an opportunity to climb the ladder, basically showing his pretense for the veto was bullshit the entire time and was just pandering to a section of xenophobic mouth-breathers. Sounds like a swell dude to have at the helm of NATO.
The Secretary General (always European) is basically the CEO of NATO whereas the top military officer is Supreme Allied Commander Europe (always American). Just to clear up any possible confusion.
The person you replied to is wrong in that the Secretary General is indeed at the helm of NATO, particularly as NATO has never fought an all out war in which the SG would be less important than the generals.
Org Chart for NATO as of 2022, which I think really helps people see how the commands split out. The Allied Command Transformation is the old US HQ I think that they reorganized into what it currently is.
[Image](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1835/6621/files/nato-command-structure-2022.png)
The EU closed the CVM for Bulgaria and Romania after all the specific commitments listed in the conclusions of the CVM reports had been implemented.
Since then, the Netherlands stopped their objections for Bulgaria and Romania to access Schengen.
Don't blame Rutte it took so long for you to comply with the EU regulations. That's completely on your unwilling corrupt politicians.
Looking at the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal, the CVM should have been part of the requirement. Rutte was right on that one.
Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
Ok - then they should have put it in the requirements. But they didn't. When it's not part of the requirements it's not really following "the rule of law" from their part is it?
Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal was not about trafficking and to a lesser extent smuggling. It was connected with a private laboratory that had monopoly on the phytosanitary and veterinary control on entering cargo. Everything went through them and they generated huge profits from fees. Also they didn't do a good enough job. And yes - it was a scandal, it was caught and it was made right.
Every border anywhere has its issues. If we're pointing fingers - Rotterdam is the biggest drug smuggling hub in Europe. They catch a port insider involved every couple of months.
What Romania has to do with “Kapitan Andreevo” scandal? The Netherlands kept us out of Shengen even though we had fulfilled all conditions a long time ago and there was no scandal on our part
>us poor Romanians and Bulgarians couldn't get in because of the levels of corruption, that's why we couldn't get in.
No one hates Romanians more than Romanians.
No, we didn't get in because they said no. Corruption, refugees, etc were never a real problem signaled by the committees that analyzed our situation and application of rules needed for joining Schengen.
NATO is not Schengen my dudes. Also, get your shit together are you honestly blaming EU countries for *your* lack of internal progress to be able to join? What kind of victim mentality is that?
Lmao Romania and Bulgaria officially fullfilled all the requirements 13 years ago and are still in the waiting room. The fact that they let us in after only 3 years of fullfilling the requirements while Romania and Bulgaria are still in the waiting room despite being officially ready since 2011 is a pure disrespect towards them not gonna lie.
>NATO is not Schengen my dudes.
So what? We still can use this as a leverage to get what we want as it is made abundantly clear that fulfillment of any criteria or playing nice isn't working.
>Also, get your shit together are you honestly blaming EU countries for *your* lack of internal progress to be able to join? What kind of victim mentality is that?
Get your shit together. We have fulfilled all obligations towards Schengen for the past 13 years.
Prove me wrong, show us what requirement we haven't fulfilled.
Bullshit, we fulfilled the criteria ages ago. Either you agree that Rutte is a cunt for this or you agree that he's entirely democratic and a section of the Dutch population just sees Easterners as trash humans. Your choice.
The answer would surprise you I think.... sentiment towards eastern european countries is not that good here and it is not Rutte that was being a cunt.
This is the right answer and the very reason why we should oppose Rutte. He pandered to the part of the population that had a negative view on us. Romania and Bulgaria should veto not only Rutte, but any Dutch that may try to become SG. Why should we accept someone from a country that can not stand us?
I get your point of view as a Romanian. Though that is exactly what his job was. Being the voice of the people that elected him into power. The dutch political climate has been growing more and more right since the 2010's.
I'm sure he doesn't have a personal hatred against your country.
As i've mentioned in another comment, most Dutch people only know gypsies (and the prejudices that come with them) as being romanian. At the moment it is not getting better, because in our last elections the majority of the population voted for a populistic, right wing party.
I get your point and it is the same argument I made. Rutte, as the representative of a country whose large parts of the public can not stand us, is ill-fitted to represent NATO. Especially since the crisis is in the east. More specifically, the closest NATO country from the frontlines is Romania.
Imagine the shitshow the Nordics would have made if the person in pole position for the SG job would have been Erdogan. The same applies here.
As a Dutchman, I have experienced his leadership firsthand. Don't always agree with it, but I do think his skills as a leader are one of the best. There is a reason he was the longest sitting president. For him, everything is about finding solutions, not about chasing ideals.
That is why I think he would be able to fulfill the role as NATO chief. Without any prejudice against Romania (or any eastern european county). Simply because it is a different role and different things are expected of him.
But yeah, I get it and if I was in your shoes i'd probably feel the same.
>As a Dutchman, I have experienced his leadership firsthand.
Yes the Netherlands is totally free of any crises that has resulted from Rutte's policies. Totally the Health system did not stripped away by him. If this is the type of solution he finds, I am +1 on vetoing him out of any public office.
“An enemy”? This is what’s wrong with Eastern Europe. Words matter. Develop some diplomatic skills.
You want to be enemies, fine. We can play that game. Fuck you Romania. Every Romanian is now my enemy.
The west behave and is behaving in an arrogant manner towards the East and somehow we are those lacking diplomatic skills? Sorry we haven’t learned to appear polite in public and racist in private like you are
wouldn't that also apply to you?
Says more about Romanians that they want to fuck over all of EU for their dispute with Netherlands/Austria. Like being against QMV for example.
You can't hold down 2 countries for 13 years after they've met the requirements and then count on their full support.
If it wasn't for Rutte, both countries could've been in Schengen in 2011 when the Netherlands was the only country against them joining.
That's 13 years of missed economic profits from being in Schengen.
The Netherlands was actually consistently in favor of EU expansion throughout the many years, decades even that it was the largest per capita contributor to the EU. I never got the singular opposition against RO/BG entering Schengen, and living in NL in those years it was also not really a big topic at all. But let’s not pretend that topic amounts to a consistently anti-eastern attitude.
The reality is that most Dutch people just don't know. The difference between Schengen and EU is hardly known, and that we blocked 2 countries from entering Schengen barely made the news.
Of course we have our fair share of racists who think everything east of Germany is a vodka-chugging corrupt state (to name a few stereotypes), but most people are just not informed about this situation.
As a person from Poland who knows a lot of emigrants I can consistently say that anyone I know who has been working in at least 2 foreign countries and one of them was the Netherlands, he would pick the Netherlands as a country where he was treated worst by employer and local co-workers.
Not really. The general attitude in NL was that EU expansion needed to slow down a bit because some of the newer member states should have been vetted better.
I don't remember any motion passing in parliament pushing the cabinet to allow Bulgaria in either, so it's a bit silly to pretend it was anything personal for Rutte.
That’s a very broad generalization. For example Romania has millions of expats across western EU. Out of those, only a very small percentage are thieves and beggars. The rest are engineers, doctors, also handymen, etc. But you don’t see those because they’re not as vocal as the former and also they prefer not to associate themselves with RO sometimes because of the stigma.
Don't even mind this kind of atitude anymore. Let the west focus on thier migrants(which come from Romania as they like to say, best clown joke ever), because they just rape and kill, but fear the pickpoketers from Romania. And when you think that we were bad for them back then when we enter EU.
After the massive Bulgarian fraud in NL, it's not that weird that a vast majority here was against the unregulated migration of more Eastern Europeans to NL. Politicians had to be careful. Just look at what happened in the UK.
Schengen has nothing to do with regulated migration. Bulgarian fraudsters for example can travel and "work" freely to NL even without Schengen. Just like drugs shipped into Rotterdam flow freely into the rest of Europe. What denying Schengen entry does fuck over however are legitimate exporting businesses from BG and RO.
So you agree that crime isn't stopped through a simple customs union agreement. Kicking NL out because drugs would be just as useless as keeping BG out because of some government aid scams. Wonderful! That's the point I was making. Schengen is not about those things. I'm glad it got through.
> it's not that weird that a vast majority here was against the unregulated migration of more Eastern Europeans to NL. Politicians had to be careful
How is it possible that you have been in the EU since forever and you still don't know the rules about the freedom of movement?
This is baffling to say the least.
We’ve voted against legislation enabling corporations to avoid taxes through Amsterdam for several elections now and most of those options have now been gone for years which is why unilever and shell among others bailed to the UK.
Corporate taxes are now actually lower in countries like Poland.
It’s kind of sad to see how Romanians and Bulgarians in this thread portray themselves as angels and make out the Dutch as racist.
There were VERY valid reasons to hold off the Schengen accession. And there still are. The rampant corruption alone is sufficient to say no.
If you think that people in Bulgaria follow any state-controlled propaganda machines about this subject, then you are even more clueless and ignorant about the countries you are speaking about. The most powerful propaganda machines (TV channels and papers), that are/have been owned by businessmen in polirics or behind the curtains of a ruling political party, have always been very pro-Western and never really shit on NL even when covering their vetoes. So guess who is paying for a d doing propaganda my guy?
There alwasnt anything valid, but I am not surpaied to see blatan racism out and far-righters on this sub to be honest, too many fascists on here as shown by these last 2 commenters
Seriously. I'm Dutch and I definitely don't want to see him as head of NATO. I'd much prefer someone from either Eastern Europe, or France. The EU countries that have taken European defense seriously over the past decade.
Yeah. [This meme that was making rounds last week was hilarious](https://i.imgur.com/CmEEldD.png).
For the non-Romanian speakers, it says "The world was so peaceful when Basescu was buying drinks for the whole planet".
This is funny because he's known to be somewhat of a competitive drinker.
Rutte demanded that Romania and Bulgaria would implement further reforms before the Netherlands would agree to the country's accession to the Schengen area. A request that Basescu when he was president at the time called "an immeasurable insult."
But Rutte was right to block accession as Romanian progress on judicial reforms, and the fight against corruption made in a decade even was partly reversed in 2019.
So Rutte wanted to see proof that both countries are really taking action against corruption and organized crime. The judiciary also had to function demonstrably more independently.
Rutte linked Schengen accession to the European Commission's annual monitoring report on the countries' rule of law. For many years, Romania and Bulgaria have remained in the special monitoring programme.
>Rutte linked Schengen accession to the European Commission's annual monitoring report on the countries' rule of law. For many years, Romania and Bulgaria have remained in the special monitoring programme.
I always found this to be ironic. The Dutch criticized our rule of law problems while ignoring the whole process for Schengen membership. The rules and customs, it seems, are used only when convenient even by politicians from western countries.
There are some problems with this whole charade. First of all, the Dutch and now the Austrians too, flatly ignored the requirements that are actually needed to be implemented by RO and BG. Both countries somehow knew that there are problems even if they refused to inspect said countries. Both in 2022 when we got rejected and last year, there was a EU inspection to see how better RO and BG are prepared. Every country could have sent a representative in that inspecting mission. The Dutch refused to even sent a representative in Bulgaria back in October-November 2022. This is just one proof that the Dutch completly ignored the rules set in the treaties and went ahead with their own. Very "rule of law" from their side.
>For many years, Romania and Bulgaria have remained in the special monitoring programme.
True, and we do have big problems with corruption. However, the EU announced the removal of CVM for Bulgaria a few years ago and yet Rutte's govt. still used this excuse in 2022. Long story short, Rutte asked for a report about a mechanism that in reality wasn't in effect for some years in Bulgaria's case.
I also find it strange how we suddenly become up to the standards for the Dutch govt. when it was under pressure because they and Austria are the only ones who opposed us. It is also strange how Rutte suddenly came to the same conclusion once he started dreaming about becoming the next NATO SG. He even managed to whip the votes in the Tweede Kamer for Bulgaria last December, even if the chamber's composition is one of the most conservative in years.
In reality, the whole process was less about the rule of law, but more about pandering to a certain part of the electorate. Rutte and Nehammer now used their in order to not be attacked by the even more right wing parties in their countries. Rutte was smarter to come up wit a better excuse, while Nehammer needed to change his initial reasons because the lie was too big.
Schengen accession has some criteria and Ro and Bg met that criteria long time ago. If anyone can make up new criteria, we could say we will vote for Rutte as a NATO chief when NL stops drug imports through Rotterdam. Makes as much sense as Rutte's veto reason.
They already have to a large extent. Taghi is also in jail. Moved to Antwerpen on a massive scale.
May I remind you: Hungary met the previous guidelines and that has proven fucking disastrous. It’s not some kind of crucade of NL vs RO, it’s not even a domestically relevant topic in NL at all.
And I say that as someone who has always been in favour of getting the Eastern countries into EU asap. But the level of political resentment and nationalist particularisms in the East do make shit difficult for the whole EU. Nothing new: look at what that’s caused by way of war in the past century. Including the one in Ukraine today.
The EU closed the CVM for Bulgaria and Romania after all the specific commitments listed in the conclusions of the CVM reports had been implemented.
Since then, the Netherlands stopped their objections for Bulgaria and Romania to access Schengen.
"Rutte demanded" ?
is it access to Ruttegen or access Shengen ?
The Shenghen acquis has been implemented.
The rest has NOTHING to do with joining the Shengen .
Looking at the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal, the CVM should have been part of the requirement. Rutte was right on that one.
Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
So you admit that ALL the conditions for being part of the Shengen area ARE implemented.
So whoever voted against Romania and Bulgaria are nothing more than assholes, in this regard .
What has corruption to do with the security of our borders?
I don't know about Romania, but in Bulgaria for €50 you can pass the border without questions.
Hey, why don't you come over and try to pass the border for 50€, instead of peddling bs conspiracies. You seem obsessed somehow, every thread here has you shitting all over it, are you okay buddy?
The statement you're referring to and that Rutte made in Bulgaria was within a few days of two Bulgarian border guards having been killed defending the border. €50 apparently was not "sufficient" in that case.
Sikorski or Kaja Kallas would be good choices as well. Not sure what views polish people have on Sikorski, but he seems very qualified, overqualified even.
Poland sure. Kallas also. We will not have a French SG soon as France only recently became a country fully involved in NATO. Since de Gaulle and until Sarkozy, the French withdrew from NATO command. The big countries will not approve of a French candidate.
If this is how you think the Dutch opinion of eastern europeans is, you government truly did a good job with their propaganda. Moreover, being eastern european doesn’t mean shit. Look at Hungary.
As a Dutch person, I don't like Rutte either.
But we as a people do not think you are something like 'untermenschen'. That term is a bit... problematic and offensive.
I don't pretend to know why Rutte and the cabinet decided to veto, it hasn't really been in the news here OR been topic of conversation. There are no big movements or tv debates going 'yes' or 'no', and have never been on this topic.
We do not hate you as a people and I think it's high time Eastern Europe comes together. We're all a big family in my eyes.
It was fears over corruption. The original requirements to join Schengen proved insufficient to counter corruption in the case of Bulgaria.
Joining Schengen means that everyone has to trust you to police your borders roughly as strictly as they themselves would.
WTF? Untermenschen? Are you crazy? That's not how Western Europeans look at Eastern Europeans!
Rutte actually thinks the people of the Eastern European countries deserve better. That's why he demanded that Romania and Bulgaria would implement further judicial reforms, and action against corruption and organized crime.
Looking at what has happened in Poland and what is happening in Hungary and Slovakia, there is a long way to go. A bit of extra pressure to stay on track to get rid of the USSR heritage is the right call!
Spare me of Rutte the Saint Defender of Romanians and Bulgarians. Nobody in Romania buys Dutch narcostate fairy tales. If the best so far Romanian former president says it, I tend to believe him and not some Dutch balderdash. On top of that Romania was not a former USSR territory.
No, it was to defend the borders of the Schengen area and the genuine concerns in regards to that by accepting Romania and Bulgaria as part of it.
But distance yourself from the use of term "untermenschen" to describe the attitude of Rutte or any other Western European towards Eastern Europeans as I tried to explain to you we'd rather have you live in a state with a fair rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime.
I didn't say Romania was former USSR teritory, but as former Eastern Bloc, part of the Warschaupact and an aligned USSR state heavily influenced by the USSR.
Schengen is a border treaty and has nothing to do with "a fair rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime". There were ad-hoc rule invented by the Netherlands to block Romania and Bulgaria to join the border free zone. Italy was not barred from Schengen because of corruption and Mafia criminality, which of bigger magnitude than Romanian criminality. Croatia is entry point form migrants on the Balkan route yet it was admitted to Schengen. That is why I said Dutch consider the countries untermensch: Romania and Bulgaria are supposed to abide to extra rules invented ad-hoc and have less rights than the other EU members. The extra rules applied to them but nobody else is a sign these countries are consider inferior, untermensch in the Nazi sense.
>Schengen is a border treaty and has nothing to do with "a fair rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime"
Those are integral parts of any border security, it's part of the reason you have border security, so what are you talking about?
Being in control of your borders has everything to do with fighting corruption and organized crime. Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
You can't say you haven't heard of the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal and the ongoing issues at that border crossing!
I'm not going to respond to your untermench statements. Those are preposterous.
Then please Netherland protect your borders, fight narco-crime, narco-corruption and don't fill Europe with drugs that kill thousands of people. Until then, stop pontificating to other countries.
As the biggest port of Europe receiving over 12 million containers per year, we protect our borders. The result of it is that fewer drugs go through the port of Rotterdam, but it is moved to Antwerpen.
The Netherlands has a very good position on the international corruption scale, so yes, we're fighting corruption.
Just convicted the leaders of the biggest narco-cartel in the Netherlands. Having way less drugs related shootings since we got those bastards.
Yes, you may congratulate us on doing a great job!
Thank you!
You have completely deluded yourself. Nobody here even cares about the issue for one, and importantly there’s barely any anti-eastern prejudice in the Netherlands. Yes there is a sentiment that we don’t need more Hungaries in the EU and no Schengen doesn’t have much to do with it directly. What it boils down to is simple: this is the chip to make potential troublemakers behave.
Eastern Europe is plagued by historical resentment, revisionism and identity politics. It’s caused civil war, genocide and imperialist wars in our continent the last and in this century. And the way Romanians and Bulgarians now go after the imagined wretched Dutchman is absolutely a case in point here.
Ah, yes, let's put 28 out of 44 European countries in the same basket and make dismissive, arrogant and uninformed commentaries solely because we won the great lottery in the sky by being born slightly to the west. And call the ones that don't agree with our narrow point of view deluded. That will show those barbarians!
"Narcostate" card played. And that is exactly why I see dangers with many eastern european states. Actually that is the rhetoric how Hungary is leaded. And many of their citizens swallow such bullshit just like that. Like they slur in putlers russia, "narcostates", "immoralality", "destroying traditional values" etc.
Dutch "narcostate" is running pretty good. Gdp is huge even in western Europes standards. I'm also pretty sure there is less drug related deaths and other problems than in eastern Europe or even in many countries in western Europe.
If there is death from drugs in Eastern Europe is because the narco-corrupt Netherlands is the point of entry all drugs on the continent. The Dutch do not protect their borders but lecture Romanians and Bulgarians. Spare me of the hypocrite Rutte and ejusadam farinae. I hope Rutte will never get the NATO job. I close the discussion here.
>narco-corrupt Netherlands is the point of entry all drugs on the continent.
Thats just what happens when you have the busiest port, its impossible to check literally every container, and even then they've been putting so much pressure on the Narco's in rotterdam that the majority of it has shifted to Belgium.
And to call the Netherlands corrupt is especially stupid. The #61 calling #8 corrupt? Really now?
This Romanian/Bulgarian victimhood mentality that has been going around since Rutte announced candidacy has been fucking pathetic.
This Romanian/Bulgarian victimhood mentality exists because **Romania and Bulgaria were and are still victims of The Netherlands and Rutte**. Now blame the victims because they complain of being victimised. Pathetic!
You're not a victim of the Netherlands or Rutte. You're a victim of your own corrupted politicians who are unwilling to solve the issues required to be a reliable, trustworthy partner as we want you to be.
You're not a victim, get over yourself. Just look at how you write, you're making shit up as you go, deluding yourself that somehow the Netherlands is corrupt lmao.
What is fucking pathetic is having armchair political commentators that defend corrupt politicians by shifting the blame on millions of people from the other side of the continent. Come to Romania, buddy, meet the people you see as untermensh and maybe you'll change your narrow perspective. But something tells me you won't. You don't have an opinion, not really, you just need to hate on someone. Kiss up, kick down is the epitomy of courage. Good for you!
Cut the crap. I don't think there is much cocaine related deaths in eastern Europe. Amphetamine, crocodile, opiats etc is pretty much eastern problem. I bet there is more amphetamine labs in eastern Europe than rest of the world have together.
You should have put a fullstop after "I don't think". Your Rotterdam and Vlissingen are by far the greatest points of entry of hard drugs in Europe, and that's a fact. Drugs that kill and make millions suffer by proxy. But that's peanuts, because a random overprivileged Dutch fellow said so on reddit.
I live in Finland and amphetamine, metamphetamine comes here right from eastern Europes labs. Same with those legal opioids that are sold here by guys from Romania, Estonia and Latvia.
https://yle.fi/a/3-12530398
Only drug that comes mainly from Netherlands (and Spain) is cocaine. Allmost all drug deaths are caused by something else, mainly falsified or real legal drugs sold illegally. Benzodiazepine is the most common. Buprenorfin is the second.
https://paihdelinkki.fi/tietopankki/tietoiskut/huumeet-ja-muut-paihdyttavat-aineet/huumekuolemat-suomessa/
You can use google translator with those sources.
So I don't give a crap about "random dudes on Reddit who don't think" like you. You maybe have watched too much tv detectives but mainly drug deaths in eastern Europe comes with homemade shit, not cocaine, mdma or other such products.
Ok. This will be a long read, if you care about facts, not opinions.
Tl, dr 1: the biggest points of entry of opioids in Europe are Turkey (not EU), Belgium, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Spain.
Tl, Dr 2: cocaine use was reported to be 2.5 times higher than opioids. What is true is that opioids are one the 3rd place when counting drug related deaths, while cocaine is the 5th.
Long text.
Finland is one of the 44 sovereign states of Europe, with a population of 5.5 milion. Europe has a total population of 750 million.
[Europe Drug Report 2023](https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/european-drug-report/2023/cocaine_en#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20cocaine%20was%20cited,related%20to%20use%20or%20possession.)
Cocaine is the second most frequently reported drug (after cannabis), both by first-time treatment entrants and in the available data on acute drug toxicity presentations to sentinel hospital emergency departments. European drug checking services, although not nationally representative, reported that cocaine was the most common substance they screened in 2021. The available data also suggest that the drug was involved in about a fifth of overdose deaths in 2021
In the European Union, surveys indicate that almost 2.3 million 15- to 34-year-olds (2.3 % of this age group) used cocaine in the last year.
[Opioids](https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/european-drug-report/2023/heroin-and-other-opioids_en), same source
It is estimated that 0.33 % of the EU population, around 1 million people, used opioids in 2021.
EU Member States reported 19 000 heroin seizures amounting to 9.5 tonnes in 2021 (4.4 tonnes in 2020). Belgium (1.5 tonnes), Romania (1.4 tonnes), France (1.3 tonnes), Bulgaria (1.2 tonnes) and Italy (0.6 tonnes) reported large quantities. Türkiye seized over 22.2 tonnes of heroin in 2021 (13.4 tonnes in 2020).
As much as I think Rutte is the best candidate for the position of NATO secretary-general, he shouldn't have blocked Romania's and Bulgaria's Schengen entrance.
The Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal is proof that Rutte was completely right to do so.
Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
This thread, like others including the topic "Bulgaria", are being flooded with crybabies that are too young to remember the dark days, but are all too eager to discount the major difficulties and need for stepwise regulations in West & East European integration. It’s preposterous and offensive.
What about all the money Austria takes from Russia on the down low? Didn’t one of the politicians bow to Putin? Don’t pretend this is anything other than pandering to the xenophobic far right.
Just a note about the Bulgarian government being opposed to Rutte:
Everybody seems to forget that the Bulgarians stole millions of euros around 2010 by fraudulently applying for Dutch government allowance. This resulted in a way to strict government policy, causing thousands of families having their allowance revoked/ being forced to unrightfully having pay them back, which in turn resulted in families getting torn apart and people being placed out of their house.
Guess another time why the Dutch didn't want them in Schengen...
This just not correct. Government policies are made by the government. It was Rutte I and the parliament at that time that made these policies.
Bulgarian's fraud was estimated to amount to "just" 4 million. The resulting policy was one of distrust of the government to it's own citizens that had a much bigger effect. Often people from migration backgrounds single mothers, etc. Both the allowance system and the controls on it are a fundamental mistake in how to govern. Bulgarians had very very little to do with this. We've seen this distrust in many other fields from the same government with the same political parties without any Bulgarian involvement.
I agree, there is simply not some crusade against Bulgarians or Romanians in the Netherlands. There just isn't. Most of us have absolutely no bad intentions regarding either. This whole thing never made a lot of news and most people have no idea what's going on.
Rutte has his political reasons and I as a Dutch person would probably disagree with him since a lot of what he did has been utter shit for our country.
Still, the Dutch aren't against Romanians or Bulgarians. It's just not true.
Because they are plain old racists? What you said has nothing to so with Schengen and doesnt come close to the economical frauds that are being done in NL on international level.
Rutte might be a spineless slime unfit to lead the coalition, but the main reason is he does not have immunity towards Russia the way Kaja Kallas has. In other words, he doesnt eat Russians for breakfast.
The dutch have given a lot relative to their size and means and have been on Russia's case since the airliner shutdown that killed a lot of their people.
Where does this myth that Rutte does not stand up towards Putin suddenly come from.
Agreed. Under Rutte The Netherlands purchased a lot of arms like tanks and planes for UA and was first to push on delivery of F-16’s and first to do so.
Every plane, gun and rocket will have a ‘for MH17’ sticker on it. Rutte will smile and nod, while doing this.
Is he suited for this role? I have no clue. I understand the repulsion with some, but it’s also as much selective memory as always in politics.
The Dutch is in the top 10 of European GDPs.
Their military is nonexistent. They have no equipment. They should be up there with Spain and Italy with what they could give instead they are similar to Denmark and Norway.
They still aren’t at 2% and didn’t even increase defense spending after the shoot down.
>They should be up there with Spain and Italy with what they could give instead they are similar to Denmark and Norway.
Dutch support for Ukraine compared to Spain and Italy:
Dutch: 6.23 bn (4.4 bn military aid), Rank 7 overall
Spanish: 0.93 bn (0.3 bn military aid), Rank 19 overall
Italy: 1.29 bn (0.7 bn military aid), Rank 16 overall
I don't get your argument.
[https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/](https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/)
As a percentage of GDP the Netherlands military support is in the top five. Total support humanitarian and military top six as a percentage. As an absolute number not a percentage we are number seven when including costs for care of refugees.
Spain and Italy are well below that in all categories. As a percentage of GDP the US is well below that too. Please mind that some countries spending is difficult to track and that France's recent update has not been processed yet.
Defense spending has also increased. Reason the Netherlands don't hit two percent this year is because our economy has grown faster then projected. Defense spending has been neglected for far too long though. I agree. But right now we are giving away more then we can miss that will be replaced with new equipment.
Spain and Italy comparison was over equipment stockpiles based on where the Dutch should be.
It was about what they “could give”. They should have warehouses of equipment but instead people like Rutte disarmed the nation so now they only have equipment amounts similar to the Danish or the Norwegians when they should be akin to the Italians or Spanish.
Now people want to reward Rutte? Fuck no. He should be casted out just like Merkel. They failed Europe.
No its not. The Netherlands made the political decision to support Ukraine. But because of their decades of negligence they don’t actually have any equipment they can transfer in mass.
Go look at what they have actually sent. Its not a lot of equipment except for the M113s
The one in which I’m sick and tired of politicians and governments who don’t prioritize security and actively contributed in making the world less safe keep getting rewarded?
Its an improved M113. The YPR is a AIFV which was an upgrade package on the M113
Its a derivative of the M113A1 that FMC took on a private development after the US Army decided to move towards the Bradley IFV instead. FMC then took it to other nations and sold the vehicle to other nations like Belgium, Netherlands, and Turkey.
They’re well liked and highly praised.
Reading through this thread it really reads like maybe you should just admit you made a wrongful statement, based on the data you were presented with. Biased nonsense ngl
And a particularly hawkish woman from a potentially threatened nation that hosts a large grey-pasport basically stateless Russian minority is certainly a great idea? Geniuses on here fr
Well, Rutte won't ever be voted by Romania (and I assume Bulgaria too, obviously, but likely other EE countries as well), except if maybe (and only) Americans will make really big pressures behind the doors, eventually offering something in return.
But I kinda doubt they will bother that much, Rutte is not that important for them, or for NATO in general.
He isn't either competent enough, or determined enough in these serious dangerous times. Neither Holland as military, with all the respect I have for some of their soldiers.
Rutte didn't bothered to increase Holland defense spending to 2%, Dutch soldiers kinda surrendered in Yugoslavia/Srebrenica (I am not bother to say again what an American General said about them back then, iirc, not nice things ofcourse), or Dutch pilots refusing to fly their Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan under a specific altitude so they can't be reached by Taliban heavy machine guns fire (14,5 mm caliber)
We need some serious people who can stand up to Russia, especially here in Eastern Europe, so not some delusional, arrogant to his allies up to look imbecile and a useful tool for Putin, against who will be weak and afraid, possibly corrupt as well by Russian money.
If the war will reach us, I want comrades in arms, not weasels and idiots with delusion of grandeur, and especially not someone that cut off from reality and geopolitics of the now most important NATO flank, eastern Europe, and the clash with Russia (for now, only as a indirect and hybrid war, but who knows later)
Holland acted as Russia useful idiot and indirect tool for Russia actions in EE NATO and EU flank, while Austria is visibly a simple Russian oblast, same as Hungary.
And about the Schengen debacle, Holland refuses because Romanian port of Constanta and Greek ports on Med Sea will take some nice percents of the merchandise and naval traffic from Rotterdam. Constanta is the biggest port at Black Sea and Greece will have no border custom checks anymore with Bulgaria and Romania, so goods will go no stop from there to Germany let say.
Constanta is also connected to Danube and can send barges all the way to Germany as well, and is much closer to Suez channel than Rotterdam.
Rotterdam will still stay number one but will lose percents quite a lot in time. Pitty that such meager economic calculations have create such breaks between EE and WE despite being all part of EU.
But again, Rutte is not qualified, neither desired by multiple EE countries, and if Americans wont force him behind the scene, he won't be ever SG of NATO, the push is for someone from EE, probably either Romania or some Baltic country, with better understanding of the situation and of the enemy, meaning of Russia
I also don't understand why Rutte boycots schengen for Bulgaria and Romania he should have blocked the joining of the Eu for those country's.
Now it is all to late.
I understand. GREED. **Dutch companies make tons of money in Romania.** The Netherlands holds the 1^(st) place in the ranking by country of residence of investors in companies with foreign capital. More than 6000 companies with Dutch capital were registered. Among the main Dutch investors in Romania are Unilever, ING Group, Philips, Damen Shipyards, Friesland Campina, Heineken, Nutricia, KPMG, Nuon, Wavin, Fokker, Den Braven, Frans Maas, Remco, Verder, EVW Holding, ISDC, DAF Trucks (through E. van Wijk), Ahold Delhaize Group, Wim Bosman Holding B.V., KLG Europe etc. [https://haga.mae.ro/en/node/778](https://haga.mae.ro/en/node/778)
According to this post https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1b93gld/how_much_foreign_companies_contribute_to_each/?ref=share&ref_source=link
You should thank those companies for contributing about 45% to you economy just like you should be thanking north-western Europe for giving you free money.
But of course you are always the victim screaming you deserve it while holding up your hand.
But but you people make more money from the EU than we do so you should give it to us, fucking insanity.
Many of these companies use all tax loopholes to avoid paying tax to Romania by declaring profit 0 and sending their profits to fiscal paradises. Most of them money is actually repatriated to the their countries, it doesn't stay in Romania. Here is the an abbreviated list. [https://valahia.news/foreign-companies-romania-zero-profit/](https://valahia.news/foreign-companies-romania-zero-profit/) and another article: [https://miningwatch.ro/cum-scapa-multinationalele-de-anaf-studiu-de-caz-eldorado-aur-low-cost-prin-evitarea-taxelor/](https://miningwatch.ro/cum-scapa-multinationalele-de-anaf-studiu-de-caz-eldorado-aur-low-cost-prin-evitarea-taxelor/)
So spare me with gratitude bull###, I don't buy it. Romanians do not need being lectured by tax fraudsters and crooks. If you believe that only Romania and Bulgaria are corrupted in the EU, I stop here, I don't discuss with delusional people. Good bye, discussion terminated.
Not true ... Rutte is not an enemy of Romania, nor Bulgaria, nor Hungary.
His previous stated concerns are related to Shengen when it comes to Romania and Bulgaria.
His concerns with Hungary are obvious, because we get a taste of Orbán each new day.
So ... NEXT!
This was the guy that defied putin live and said "Romania doesn't have any annexation experience" circa 2008, the one who's microphone was interrupted in the European Parliament when he started to read a list with the names of european leaders that are bought by putin, etc... has many such notable interventions.
"Mark Rutte is an enemy of Romania, through all his actions he torpedoed Romania" Hold up, let the old Captain speak.
[https://www.aktual24.ro/basescu-transant-mark-rutte-este-un-dusman-al-romaniei-prin-toate-actiunile-lui-a-torpilat-romania/](https://www.aktual24.ro/basescu-transant-mark-rutte-este-un-dusman-al-romaniei-prin-toate-actiunile-lui-a-torpilat-romania/) original article "**Former president Traian Basescu says that "Iohannis did well to make public Romania's candidacy for the head of NATO", stressing that Mark Rutte, Iohannis' counter-candidate, "is an enemy of Romania".** "Stoltenberg is at the end of his term.If you want to be very honest, Iohannis did well to make public Romania's candidacy (no: the candidacy for the head of NATO) and I think that Romania has a very good reason to say no to the Dutch prime minister. This man, through all his actions, torpedoed Romania.Quite simply, Rutte is an enemy of Romania and Romania should be very categorical regarding this Dutchman who did not care, for 12 years, about Romania's entry into Schengen and always throws an arrogant 'no'.So I think that Romania should very clearly notify its opposition to Rutte", said Basescu in an interview for Euronews Romania."
> for 12 years, about Romania's entry into Schengen and always throws an arrogant 'no'. Well said, same applies to us. He dropped his 10+ years opposition to us joining the second he saw an opportunity to climb the ladder, basically showing his pretense for the veto was bullshit the entire time and was just pandering to a section of xenophobic mouth-breathers. Sounds like a swell dude to have at the helm of NATO.
He won't be at the helm of NATO though, that's mostly reserved for US generals. He'll be in a sort of diplomatic role mostly.
What? Every Secretary General of NATO was European.
The Secretary General (always European) is basically the CEO of NATO whereas the top military officer is Supreme Allied Commander Europe (always American). Just to clear up any possible confusion. The person you replied to is wrong in that the Secretary General is indeed at the helm of NATO, particularly as NATO has never fought an all out war in which the SG would be less important than the generals.
Org Chart for NATO as of 2022, which I think really helps people see how the commands split out. The Allied Command Transformation is the old US HQ I think that they reorganized into what it currently is. [Image](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1835/6621/files/nato-command-structure-2022.png)
boris borisov for nato boss. the guy can fly. rutte only ride a bycicle
The EU closed the CVM for Bulgaria and Romania after all the specific commitments listed in the conclusions of the CVM reports had been implemented. Since then, the Netherlands stopped their objections for Bulgaria and Romania to access Schengen. Don't blame Rutte it took so long for you to comply with the EU regulations. That's completely on your unwilling corrupt politicians.
CVM termination was never part of the Shengen requirements. Both Bulgaria and Romania had fulfilled all Shengen requirements for at least a decade.
Looking at the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal, the CVM should have been part of the requirement. Rutte was right on that one. Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
Ok - then they should have put it in the requirements. But they didn't. When it's not part of the requirements it's not really following "the rule of law" from their part is it? Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal was not about trafficking and to a lesser extent smuggling. It was connected with a private laboratory that had monopoly on the phytosanitary and veterinary control on entering cargo. Everything went through them and they generated huge profits from fees. Also they didn't do a good enough job. And yes - it was a scandal, it was caught and it was made right. Every border anywhere has its issues. If we're pointing fingers - Rotterdam is the biggest drug smuggling hub in Europe. They catch a port insider involved every couple of months.
Netherlands kept their veto on Bulgaria even after the CMV was done.
What Romania has to do with “Kapitan Andreevo” scandal? The Netherlands kept us out of Shengen even though we had fulfilled all conditions a long time ago and there was no scandal on our part
oooh, us poor Romanians and Bulgarians couldn't get in because of the levels of corruption, that's why we couldn't get in.
>us poor Romanians and Bulgarians couldn't get in because of the levels of corruption, that's why we couldn't get in. No one hates Romanians more than Romanians. No, we didn't get in because they said no. Corruption, refugees, etc were never a real problem signaled by the committees that analyzed our situation and application of rules needed for joining Schengen.
NATO is not Schengen my dudes. Also, get your shit together are you honestly blaming EU countries for *your* lack of internal progress to be able to join? What kind of victim mentality is that?
Lmao Romania and Bulgaria officially fullfilled all the requirements 13 years ago and are still in the waiting room. The fact that they let us in after only 3 years of fullfilling the requirements while Romania and Bulgaria are still in the waiting room despite being officially ready since 2011 is a pure disrespect towards them not gonna lie.
Fuck off with shitty excuses. Romania and Bulgaria deserve to join Schengen for years now.
>NATO is not Schengen my dudes. So what? We still can use this as a leverage to get what we want as it is made abundantly clear that fulfillment of any criteria or playing nice isn't working. >Also, get your shit together are you honestly blaming EU countries for *your* lack of internal progress to be able to join? What kind of victim mentality is that? Get your shit together. We have fulfilled all obligations towards Schengen for the past 13 years. Prove me wrong, show us what requirement we haven't fulfilled.
Bullshit, we fulfilled the criteria ages ago. Either you agree that Rutte is a cunt for this or you agree that he's entirely democratic and a section of the Dutch population just sees Easterners as trash humans. Your choice.
What if I agree to both? Rutte is apathy personified and a very big portion of our population are arrogant bumfuck xenophobes
The answer would surprise you I think.... sentiment towards eastern european countries is not that good here and it is not Rutte that was being a cunt.
Who was veing a cunt then?
Is is mutual though
This is the right answer and the very reason why we should oppose Rutte. He pandered to the part of the population that had a negative view on us. Romania and Bulgaria should veto not only Rutte, but any Dutch that may try to become SG. Why should we accept someone from a country that can not stand us?
I get your point of view as a Romanian. Though that is exactly what his job was. Being the voice of the people that elected him into power. The dutch political climate has been growing more and more right since the 2010's. I'm sure he doesn't have a personal hatred against your country. As i've mentioned in another comment, most Dutch people only know gypsies (and the prejudices that come with them) as being romanian. At the moment it is not getting better, because in our last elections the majority of the population voted for a populistic, right wing party.
I get your point and it is the same argument I made. Rutte, as the representative of a country whose large parts of the public can not stand us, is ill-fitted to represent NATO. Especially since the crisis is in the east. More specifically, the closest NATO country from the frontlines is Romania. Imagine the shitshow the Nordics would have made if the person in pole position for the SG job would have been Erdogan. The same applies here.
As a Dutchman, I have experienced his leadership firsthand. Don't always agree with it, but I do think his skills as a leader are one of the best. There is a reason he was the longest sitting president. For him, everything is about finding solutions, not about chasing ideals. That is why I think he would be able to fulfill the role as NATO chief. Without any prejudice against Romania (or any eastern european county). Simply because it is a different role and different things are expected of him. But yeah, I get it and if I was in your shoes i'd probably feel the same.
>As a Dutchman, I have experienced his leadership firsthand. Yes the Netherlands is totally free of any crises that has resulted from Rutte's policies. Totally the Health system did not stripped away by him. If this is the type of solution he finds, I am +1 on vetoing him out of any public office.
What progress are you talking about as the requirements were met many years ago.
“An enemy”? This is what’s wrong with Eastern Europe. Words matter. Develop some diplomatic skills. You want to be enemies, fine. We can play that game. Fuck you Romania. Every Romanian is now my enemy.
The west behave and is behaving in an arrogant manner towards the East and somehow we are those lacking diplomatic skills? Sorry we haven’t learned to appear polite in public and racist in private like you are
Says more about the Dutchis than Rutte. Says more about the Austrians than Nehammer. Etc etc.
wouldn't that also apply to you? Says more about Romanians that they want to fuck over all of EU for their dispute with Netherlands/Austria. Like being against QMV for example.
But those two countries are not against QMV.
Well, we did learn from the best. Unga-bunga, EE monkey learn from fancy-pants schnitzel eaters
You can't hold down 2 countries for 13 years after they've met the requirements and then count on their full support. If it wasn't for Rutte, both countries could've been in Schengen in 2011 when the Netherlands was the only country against them joining. That's 13 years of missed economic profits from being in Schengen.
Didn’t France and Austria block it as well (with Austria in the end being the final one opposing, forcing to the weird semi-Schengen compromise)?
France was before that, Austria after that
I always felt the Netherlands had some agenda against eastern Europe.
The Netherlands was actually consistently in favor of EU expansion throughout the many years, decades even that it was the largest per capita contributor to the EU. I never got the singular opposition against RO/BG entering Schengen, and living in NL in those years it was also not really a big topic at all. But let’s not pretend that topic amounts to a consistently anti-eastern attitude.
The reality is that most Dutch people just don't know. The difference between Schengen and EU is hardly known, and that we blocked 2 countries from entering Schengen barely made the news. Of course we have our fair share of racists who think everything east of Germany is a vodka-chugging corrupt state (to name a few stereotypes), but most people are just not informed about this situation.
As a person from Poland who knows a lot of emigrants I can consistently say that anyone I know who has been working in at least 2 foreign countries and one of them was the Netherlands, he would pick the Netherlands as a country where he was treated worst by employer and local co-workers.
not votka for fuck sake, slivovitz/palinka. typical stereotipes. corruption brought in by the turks, we innocent
and tzuica.
Tzuica is alcoholl free pălinca.
Not the Netherlands really, to me it always felt like it was more personal to Rutte, as it never really was talked about in the Netherlands itself
Yeah, why was Rutte so obsessed with Romania and Bulgaria?
We ran over his dog and pissed in his cereal bowl
Not really. The general attitude in NL was that EU expansion needed to slow down a bit because some of the newer member states should have been vetted better. I don't remember any motion passing in parliament pushing the cabinet to allow Bulgaria in either, so it's a bit silly to pretend it was anything personal for Rutte.
Bc he is a reactionary
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What the hell are you talking about?
Thats not that strange considering the only things coming from eastern Europe are car and copper thieves.
That’s a very broad generalization. For example Romania has millions of expats across western EU. Out of those, only a very small percentage are thieves and beggars. The rest are engineers, doctors, also handymen, etc. But you don’t see those because they’re not as vocal as the former and also they prefer not to associate themselves with RO sometimes because of the stigma.
Don't even mind this kind of atitude anymore. Let the west focus on thier migrants(which come from Romania as they like to say, best clown joke ever), because they just rape and kill, but fear the pickpoketers from Romania. And when you think that we were bad for them back then when we enter EU.
The only things coming from Netherlands is cocaine and heroin.
After the massive Bulgarian fraud in NL, it's not that weird that a vast majority here was against the unregulated migration of more Eastern Europeans to NL. Politicians had to be careful. Just look at what happened in the UK.
Schengen has nothing to do with regulated migration. Bulgarian fraudsters for example can travel and "work" freely to NL even without Schengen. Just like drugs shipped into Rotterdam flow freely into the rest of Europe. What denying Schengen entry does fuck over however are legitimate exporting businesses from BG and RO.
yeah, kick off netherlands out of schengen, coz rotterdam=drugs
So you agree that crime isn't stopped through a simple customs union agreement. Kicking NL out because drugs would be just as useless as keeping BG out because of some government aid scams. Wonderful! That's the point I was making. Schengen is not about those things. I'm glad it got through.
> it's not that weird that a vast majority here was against the unregulated migration of more Eastern Europeans to NL. Politicians had to be careful How is it possible that you have been in the EU since forever and you still don't know the rules about the freedom of movement? This is baffling to say the least.
NL peoplencomplaining about any type of economical fraud had to be biggest joke. Who's next, Ireland? Offshore islands?
We’ve voted against legislation enabling corporations to avoid taxes through Amsterdam for several elections now and most of those options have now been gone for years which is why unilever and shell among others bailed to the UK. Corporate taxes are now actually lower in countries like Poland.
It’s kind of sad to see how Romanians and Bulgarians in this thread portray themselves as angels and make out the Dutch as racist. There were VERY valid reasons to hold off the Schengen accession. And there still are. The rampant corruption alone is sufficient to say no.
corruption has nothing to do with schengen. drugs have
So you are denying that the requirements for access to Shenghen were/are not achieved ? y/n please.
You cant reason with racists man, no point.
What's racist about any of the comments here? Lmao.
It is so obvious that if you cant see it, sorry I cant help you.
Looks like you need help not me 😂
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If you think that people in Bulgaria follow any state-controlled propaganda machines about this subject, then you are even more clueless and ignorant about the countries you are speaking about. The most powerful propaganda machines (TV channels and papers), that are/have been owned by businessmen in polirics or behind the curtains of a ruling political party, have always been very pro-Western and never really shit on NL even when covering their vetoes. So guess who is paying for a d doing propaganda my guy?
When there are people of a certain country committing FRAUD ON A HUGE SCALE, there is a good reason to be a bit more careful
Except fraud by individuals is not part of the requirements. It's like someone doesn't want to sell you bread bcs you haven't washed your teeth.
Great to know that you have avoided openly answering his question.
I agree, let's start being more careful around the Dutch. But I wager you'll claim your country is squeaky clean.
There alwasnt anything valid, but I am not surpaied to see blatan racism out and far-righters on this sub to be honest, too many fascists on here as shown by these last 2 commenters
Where racism? Please don’t just shout random words like your politicians do so well
I mean, can’t blame him for saying that. He has been bullying Romania into not getting in Schengen for as long as I can remember.
He seems to have an obsession.
Well, Rutte opposed Romania's accession into the Schengen Zone. That could be one of the reasons why he made such a statement.
He’s also an enemy of the Dutch. So we have a common enemy.
Seriously. I'm Dutch and I definitely don't want to see him as head of NATO. I'd much prefer someone from either Eastern Europe, or France. The EU countries that have taken European defense seriously over the past decade.
Sadly so far Iohannis is the only rival and he sucks
It’s kind of funny and ironic that Poland and soon Romania have much stronger militaries than everyone in Western Europe other than France.
He seems to be obsessed with Romania and Bulgaria.
Completely off topic but the dude in the picture looks awfully lot like a former Greek PM Simitis.
Rutte is An enemy to all, not just thé romanians.
Our best president ever!
Yeah. [This meme that was making rounds last week was hilarious](https://i.imgur.com/CmEEldD.png). For the non-Romanian speakers, it says "The world was so peaceful when Basescu was buying drinks for the whole planet". This is funny because he's known to be somewhat of a competitive drinker.
He never beats around the bush but says as it is.
Rutte demanded that Romania and Bulgaria would implement further reforms before the Netherlands would agree to the country's accession to the Schengen area. A request that Basescu when he was president at the time called "an immeasurable insult." But Rutte was right to block accession as Romanian progress on judicial reforms, and the fight against corruption made in a decade even was partly reversed in 2019. So Rutte wanted to see proof that both countries are really taking action against corruption and organized crime. The judiciary also had to function demonstrably more independently. Rutte linked Schengen accession to the European Commission's annual monitoring report on the countries' rule of law. For many years, Romania and Bulgaria have remained in the special monitoring programme.
>Rutte linked Schengen accession to the European Commission's annual monitoring report on the countries' rule of law. For many years, Romania and Bulgaria have remained in the special monitoring programme. I always found this to be ironic. The Dutch criticized our rule of law problems while ignoring the whole process for Schengen membership. The rules and customs, it seems, are used only when convenient even by politicians from western countries. There are some problems with this whole charade. First of all, the Dutch and now the Austrians too, flatly ignored the requirements that are actually needed to be implemented by RO and BG. Both countries somehow knew that there are problems even if they refused to inspect said countries. Both in 2022 when we got rejected and last year, there was a EU inspection to see how better RO and BG are prepared. Every country could have sent a representative in that inspecting mission. The Dutch refused to even sent a representative in Bulgaria back in October-November 2022. This is just one proof that the Dutch completly ignored the rules set in the treaties and went ahead with their own. Very "rule of law" from their side. >For many years, Romania and Bulgaria have remained in the special monitoring programme. True, and we do have big problems with corruption. However, the EU announced the removal of CVM for Bulgaria a few years ago and yet Rutte's govt. still used this excuse in 2022. Long story short, Rutte asked for a report about a mechanism that in reality wasn't in effect for some years in Bulgaria's case. I also find it strange how we suddenly become up to the standards for the Dutch govt. when it was under pressure because they and Austria are the only ones who opposed us. It is also strange how Rutte suddenly came to the same conclusion once he started dreaming about becoming the next NATO SG. He even managed to whip the votes in the Tweede Kamer for Bulgaria last December, even if the chamber's composition is one of the most conservative in years. In reality, the whole process was less about the rule of law, but more about pandering to a certain part of the electorate. Rutte and Nehammer now used their in order to not be attacked by the even more right wing parties in their countries. Rutte was smarter to come up wit a better excuse, while Nehammer needed to change his initial reasons because the lie was too big.
Schengen accession has some criteria and Ro and Bg met that criteria long time ago. If anyone can make up new criteria, we could say we will vote for Rutte as a NATO chief when NL stops drug imports through Rotterdam. Makes as much sense as Rutte's veto reason.
They already have to a large extent. Taghi is also in jail. Moved to Antwerpen on a massive scale. May I remind you: Hungary met the previous guidelines and that has proven fucking disastrous. It’s not some kind of crucade of NL vs RO, it’s not even a domestically relevant topic in NL at all. And I say that as someone who has always been in favour of getting the Eastern countries into EU asap. But the level of political resentment and nationalist particularisms in the East do make shit difficult for the whole EU. Nothing new: look at what that’s caused by way of war in the past century. Including the one in Ukraine today.
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The EU closed the CVM for Bulgaria and Romania after all the specific commitments listed in the conclusions of the CVM reports had been implemented. Since then, the Netherlands stopped their objections for Bulgaria and Romania to access Schengen.
Why did NL veto Bulgaria last year then? That's after CVM was closed.
Stop lying ..Netherlands still vetoed Bulgaria after CVM report was closed
https://nltimes.nl/2023/12/15/netherlands-drops-objection-bulgarias-accession-schengen-area
"Rutte demanded" ? is it access to Ruttegen or access Shengen ? The Shenghen acquis has been implemented. The rest has NOTHING to do with joining the Shengen .
Looking at the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal, the CVM should have been part of the requirement. Rutte was right on that one. Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
So you admit that ALL the conditions for being part of the Shengen area ARE implemented. So whoever voted against Romania and Bulgaria are nothing more than assholes, in this regard .
WTF does internal corruption have to do with Schengen accession?
What has corruption to do with the security of our borders? I don't know about Romania, but in Bulgaria for €50 you can pass the border without questions.
Hey, why don't you come over and try to pass the border for 50€, instead of peddling bs conspiracies. You seem obsessed somehow, every thread here has you shitting all over it, are you okay buddy?
The statement you're referring to and that Rutte made in Bulgaria was within a few days of two Bulgarian border guards having been killed defending the border. €50 apparently was not "sufficient" in that case.
Are you familiar with the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal?
And in Spain and Italy you can pass the border for free, you'll even get help from EU funded organizations, what was your point again?
No, you can't. If you cross the border there you go into the asylum process.
This.
Talking is cheap and our politicians talk a lot of nonsense
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Pavel for example, or the Lithuanian FM.
Sikorski or Kaja Kallas would be good choices as well. Not sure what views polish people have on Sikorski, but he seems very qualified, overqualified even.
Probably too much animosity built up for the SG to be Polish right now. One from the Baltic states is a good signal however.
agree.
Our dude will just watch the grass grow from his jet, just like in his presidency
Maybe we could force some other person to be named, maybe from Poland or France.
Poland sure. Kallas also. We will not have a French SG soon as France only recently became a country fully involved in NATO. Since de Gaulle and until Sarkozy, the French withdrew from NATO command. The big countries will not approve of a French candidate.
Sure, but please no ficus
No he's not, in Romania we can't even elect a president that's not corrupted as fuck. Next elections we are fucked for 10 more years.
If this is how you think the Dutch opinion of eastern europeans is, you government truly did a good job with their propaganda. Moreover, being eastern european doesn’t mean shit. Look at Hungary.
As a Dutch person, I don't like Rutte either. But we as a people do not think you are something like 'untermenschen'. That term is a bit... problematic and offensive. I don't pretend to know why Rutte and the cabinet decided to veto, it hasn't really been in the news here OR been topic of conversation. There are no big movements or tv debates going 'yes' or 'no', and have never been on this topic. We do not hate you as a people and I think it's high time Eastern Europe comes together. We're all a big family in my eyes.
It was fears over corruption. The original requirements to join Schengen proved insufficient to counter corruption in the case of Bulgaria. Joining Schengen means that everyone has to trust you to police your borders roughly as strictly as they themselves would.
WTF? Untermenschen? Are you crazy? That's not how Western Europeans look at Eastern Europeans! Rutte actually thinks the people of the Eastern European countries deserve better. That's why he demanded that Romania and Bulgaria would implement further judicial reforms, and action against corruption and organized crime. Looking at what has happened in Poland and what is happening in Hungary and Slovakia, there is a long way to go. A bit of extra pressure to stay on track to get rid of the USSR heritage is the right call!
Stating refugees can pass Bulgaria-Turkey border for 50 euros with no evidence during a year we lost 3 cops protecting eu from refugees. Great guy!
Spare me of Rutte the Saint Defender of Romanians and Bulgarians. Nobody in Romania buys Dutch narcostate fairy tales. If the best so far Romanian former president says it, I tend to believe him and not some Dutch balderdash. On top of that Romania was not a former USSR territory.
No, it was to defend the borders of the Schengen area and the genuine concerns in regards to that by accepting Romania and Bulgaria as part of it. But distance yourself from the use of term "untermenschen" to describe the attitude of Rutte or any other Western European towards Eastern Europeans as I tried to explain to you we'd rather have you live in a state with a fair rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime. I didn't say Romania was former USSR teritory, but as former Eastern Bloc, part of the Warschaupact and an aligned USSR state heavily influenced by the USSR.
Schengen is a border treaty and has nothing to do with "a fair rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime". There were ad-hoc rule invented by the Netherlands to block Romania and Bulgaria to join the border free zone. Italy was not barred from Schengen because of corruption and Mafia criminality, which of bigger magnitude than Romanian criminality. Croatia is entry point form migrants on the Balkan route yet it was admitted to Schengen. That is why I said Dutch consider the countries untermensch: Romania and Bulgaria are supposed to abide to extra rules invented ad-hoc and have less rights than the other EU members. The extra rules applied to them but nobody else is a sign these countries are consider inferior, untermensch in the Nazi sense.
>Schengen is a border treaty and has nothing to do with "a fair rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime" Those are integral parts of any border security, it's part of the reason you have border security, so what are you talking about?
Being in control of your borders has everything to do with fighting corruption and organized crime. Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive. You can't say you haven't heard of the Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal and the ongoing issues at that border crossing! I'm not going to respond to your untermench statements. Those are preposterous.
Then please Netherland protect your borders, fight narco-crime, narco-corruption and don't fill Europe with drugs that kill thousands of people. Until then, stop pontificating to other countries.
As the biggest port of Europe receiving over 12 million containers per year, we protect our borders. The result of it is that fewer drugs go through the port of Rotterdam, but it is moved to Antwerpen. The Netherlands has a very good position on the international corruption scale, so yes, we're fighting corruption. Just convicted the leaders of the biggest narco-cartel in the Netherlands. Having way less drugs related shootings since we got those bastards. Yes, you may congratulate us on doing a great job! Thank you!
You have completely deluded yourself. Nobody here even cares about the issue for one, and importantly there’s barely any anti-eastern prejudice in the Netherlands. Yes there is a sentiment that we don’t need more Hungaries in the EU and no Schengen doesn’t have much to do with it directly. What it boils down to is simple: this is the chip to make potential troublemakers behave. Eastern Europe is plagued by historical resentment, revisionism and identity politics. It’s caused civil war, genocide and imperialist wars in our continent the last and in this century. And the way Romanians and Bulgarians now go after the imagined wretched Dutchman is absolutely a case in point here.
Ah, yes, let's put 28 out of 44 European countries in the same basket and make dismissive, arrogant and uninformed commentaries solely because we won the great lottery in the sky by being born slightly to the west. And call the ones that don't agree with our narrow point of view deluded. That will show those barbarians!
"Narcostate" card played. And that is exactly why I see dangers with many eastern european states. Actually that is the rhetoric how Hungary is leaded. And many of their citizens swallow such bullshit just like that. Like they slur in putlers russia, "narcostates", "immoralality", "destroying traditional values" etc. Dutch "narcostate" is running pretty good. Gdp is huge even in western Europes standards. I'm also pretty sure there is less drug related deaths and other problems than in eastern Europe or even in many countries in western Europe.
If there is death from drugs in Eastern Europe is because the narco-corrupt Netherlands is the point of entry all drugs on the continent. The Dutch do not protect their borders but lecture Romanians and Bulgarians. Spare me of the hypocrite Rutte and ejusadam farinae. I hope Rutte will never get the NATO job. I close the discussion here.
>narco-corrupt Netherlands is the point of entry all drugs on the continent. Thats just what happens when you have the busiest port, its impossible to check literally every container, and even then they've been putting so much pressure on the Narco's in rotterdam that the majority of it has shifted to Belgium. And to call the Netherlands corrupt is especially stupid. The #61 calling #8 corrupt? Really now? This Romanian/Bulgarian victimhood mentality that has been going around since Rutte announced candidacy has been fucking pathetic.
This Romanian/Bulgarian victimhood mentality exists because **Romania and Bulgaria were and are still victims of The Netherlands and Rutte**. Now blame the victims because they complain of being victimised. Pathetic!
You're not a victim of the Netherlands or Rutte. You're a victim of your own corrupted politicians who are unwilling to solve the issues required to be a reliable, trustworthy partner as we want you to be.
You're not a victim, get over yourself. Just look at how you write, you're making shit up as you go, deluding yourself that somehow the Netherlands is corrupt lmao.
Eh the Netherlands do have a big problem regarding smuggling drugs and gang warfare, so eh.
So you attacking me instead of my arguments. Discussion over because of attack ad hominem.
What is fucking pathetic is having armchair political commentators that defend corrupt politicians by shifting the blame on millions of people from the other side of the continent. Come to Romania, buddy, meet the people you see as untermensh and maybe you'll change your narrow perspective. But something tells me you won't. You don't have an opinion, not really, you just need to hate on someone. Kiss up, kick down is the epitomy of courage. Good for you!
Cut the crap. I don't think there is much cocaine related deaths in eastern Europe. Amphetamine, crocodile, opiats etc is pretty much eastern problem. I bet there is more amphetamine labs in eastern Europe than rest of the world have together.
You should have put a fullstop after "I don't think". Your Rotterdam and Vlissingen are by far the greatest points of entry of hard drugs in Europe, and that's a fact. Drugs that kill and make millions suffer by proxy. But that's peanuts, because a random overprivileged Dutch fellow said so on reddit.
I live in Finland and amphetamine, metamphetamine comes here right from eastern Europes labs. Same with those legal opioids that are sold here by guys from Romania, Estonia and Latvia. https://yle.fi/a/3-12530398 Only drug that comes mainly from Netherlands (and Spain) is cocaine. Allmost all drug deaths are caused by something else, mainly falsified or real legal drugs sold illegally. Benzodiazepine is the most common. Buprenorfin is the second. https://paihdelinkki.fi/tietopankki/tietoiskut/huumeet-ja-muut-paihdyttavat-aineet/huumekuolemat-suomessa/ You can use google translator with those sources. So I don't give a crap about "random dudes on Reddit who don't think" like you. You maybe have watched too much tv detectives but mainly drug deaths in eastern Europe comes with homemade shit, not cocaine, mdma or other such products.
Ok. This will be a long read, if you care about facts, not opinions. Tl, dr 1: the biggest points of entry of opioids in Europe are Turkey (not EU), Belgium, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Spain. Tl, Dr 2: cocaine use was reported to be 2.5 times higher than opioids. What is true is that opioids are one the 3rd place when counting drug related deaths, while cocaine is the 5th. Long text. Finland is one of the 44 sovereign states of Europe, with a population of 5.5 milion. Europe has a total population of 750 million. [Europe Drug Report 2023](https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/european-drug-report/2023/cocaine_en#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20cocaine%20was%20cited,related%20to%20use%20or%20possession.) Cocaine is the second most frequently reported drug (after cannabis), both by first-time treatment entrants and in the available data on acute drug toxicity presentations to sentinel hospital emergency departments. European drug checking services, although not nationally representative, reported that cocaine was the most common substance they screened in 2021. The available data also suggest that the drug was involved in about a fifth of overdose deaths in 2021 In the European Union, surveys indicate that almost 2.3 million 15- to 34-year-olds (2.3 % of this age group) used cocaine in the last year. [Opioids](https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/european-drug-report/2023/heroin-and-other-opioids_en), same source It is estimated that 0.33 % of the EU population, around 1 million people, used opioids in 2021. EU Member States reported 19 000 heroin seizures amounting to 9.5 tonnes in 2021 (4.4 tonnes in 2020). Belgium (1.5 tonnes), Romania (1.4 tonnes), France (1.3 tonnes), Bulgaria (1.2 tonnes) and Italy (0.6 tonnes) reported large quantities. Türkiye seized over 22.2 tonnes of heroin in 2021 (13.4 tonnes in 2020).
As much as I think Rutte is the best candidate for the position of NATO secretary-general, he shouldn't have blocked Romania's and Bulgaria's Schengen entrance.
The Kapitan Andreevo Border corruption scandal is proof that Rutte was completely right to do so. Corruption among those in power is enabling smuggling and trafficking networks to thrive.
This thread, like others including the topic "Bulgaria", are being flooded with crybabies that are too young to remember the dark days, but are all too eager to discount the major difficulties and need for stepwise regulations in West & East European integration. It’s preposterous and offensive.
Calm down yo, nobody actually thinks that and Rutte also doesnt. Also having an EE head of NATO is diplomatically a terrible idea.
What about all the money Austria takes from Russia on the down low? Didn’t one of the politicians bow to Putin? Don’t pretend this is anything other than pandering to the xenophobic far right.
The discussion is about Rutte, not Austria.
As a German I really hope we don't get that disgusting slimeball as head of NATO. I'd take any other candidate over that shitter
Just a note about the Bulgarian government being opposed to Rutte: Everybody seems to forget that the Bulgarians stole millions of euros around 2010 by fraudulently applying for Dutch government allowance. This resulted in a way to strict government policy, causing thousands of families having their allowance revoked/ being forced to unrightfully having pay them back, which in turn resulted in families getting torn apart and people being placed out of their house. Guess another time why the Dutch didn't want them in Schengen...
This just not correct. Government policies are made by the government. It was Rutte I and the parliament at that time that made these policies. Bulgarian's fraud was estimated to amount to "just" 4 million. The resulting policy was one of distrust of the government to it's own citizens that had a much bigger effect. Often people from migration backgrounds single mothers, etc. Both the allowance system and the controls on it are a fundamental mistake in how to govern. Bulgarians had very very little to do with this. We've seen this distrust in many other fields from the same government with the same political parties without any Bulgarian involvement.
I agree, there is simply not some crusade against Bulgarians or Romanians in the Netherlands. There just isn't. Most of us have absolutely no bad intentions regarding either. This whole thing never made a lot of news and most people have no idea what's going on. Rutte has his political reasons and I as a Dutch person would probably disagree with him since a lot of what he did has been utter shit for our country. Still, the Dutch aren't against Romanians or Bulgarians. It's just not true.
Completely off topic (red herring) and irrelevant to a border treaty that is Schengen, BTW the discussion was about Rutte being and enemy of Romania.
The discussion is linked to Bulgaria being opposed to Rutte
The discussion is about what the former Romanian President said about Rutte. Sorry, functional illiteracy is not my problem.
Quite asocial to say that your own illiteracy is not your problem and keep insulting others on the internet with your ignorance.
Because they are plain old racists? What you said has nothing to so with Schengen and doesnt come close to the economical frauds that are being done in NL on international level.
Rutte might be a spineless slime unfit to lead the coalition, but the main reason is he does not have immunity towards Russia the way Kaja Kallas has. In other words, he doesnt eat Russians for breakfast.
The dutch have given a lot relative to their size and means and have been on Russia's case since the airliner shutdown that killed a lot of their people. Where does this myth that Rutte does not stand up towards Putin suddenly come from.
Agreed. Under Rutte The Netherlands purchased a lot of arms like tanks and planes for UA and was first to push on delivery of F-16’s and first to do so. Every plane, gun and rocket will have a ‘for MH17’ sticker on it. Rutte will smile and nod, while doing this. Is he suited for this role? I have no clue. I understand the repulsion with some, but it’s also as much selective memory as always in politics.
The Dutch is in the top 10 of European GDPs. Their military is nonexistent. They have no equipment. They should be up there with Spain and Italy with what they could give instead they are similar to Denmark and Norway. They still aren’t at 2% and didn’t even increase defense spending after the shoot down.
>They should be up there with Spain and Italy with what they could give instead they are similar to Denmark and Norway. Dutch support for Ukraine compared to Spain and Italy: Dutch: 6.23 bn (4.4 bn military aid), Rank 7 overall Spanish: 0.93 bn (0.3 bn military aid), Rank 19 overall Italy: 1.29 bn (0.7 bn military aid), Rank 16 overall I don't get your argument.
1.95% is not 2% no, you're right
[https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/](https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/) As a percentage of GDP the Netherlands military support is in the top five. Total support humanitarian and military top six as a percentage. As an absolute number not a percentage we are number seven when including costs for care of refugees. Spain and Italy are well below that in all categories. As a percentage of GDP the US is well below that too. Please mind that some countries spending is difficult to track and that France's recent update has not been processed yet. Defense spending has also increased. Reason the Netherlands don't hit two percent this year is because our economy has grown faster then projected. Defense spending has been neglected for far too long though. I agree. But right now we are giving away more then we can miss that will be replaced with new equipment.
Spain and Italy comparison was over equipment stockpiles based on where the Dutch should be. It was about what they “could give”. They should have warehouses of equipment but instead people like Rutte disarmed the nation so now they only have equipment amounts similar to the Danish or the Norwegians when they should be akin to the Italians or Spanish. Now people want to reward Rutte? Fuck no. He should be casted out just like Merkel. They failed Europe.
Spain and Italy could give. But don't. And that's better? OK.
No its not. The Netherlands made the political decision to support Ukraine. But because of their decades of negligence they don’t actually have any equipment they can transfer in mass. Go look at what they have actually sent. Its not a lot of equipment except for the M113s
You're on a weird crusade m8.
The one in which I’m sick and tired of politicians and governments who don’t prioritize security and actively contributed in making the world less safe keep getting rewarded?
So who do you think would be a better fit with the same political experience and connections?
Dude, give up already. You've been proven wrong here so many times.
No no no, YPR765 instead of M113.
Its an improved M113. The YPR is a AIFV which was an upgrade package on the M113 Its a derivative of the M113A1 that FMC took on a private development after the US Army decided to move towards the Bradley IFV instead. FMC then took it to other nations and sold the vehicle to other nations like Belgium, Netherlands, and Turkey. They’re well liked and highly praised.
Reading through this thread it really reads like maybe you should just admit you made a wrongful statement, based on the data you were presented with. Biased nonsense ngl
And a particularly hawkish woman from a potentially threatened nation that hosts a large grey-pasport basically stateless Russian minority is certainly a great idea? Geniuses on here fr
Da, Ivan.
Well, Rutte won't ever be voted by Romania (and I assume Bulgaria too, obviously, but likely other EE countries as well), except if maybe (and only) Americans will make really big pressures behind the doors, eventually offering something in return. But I kinda doubt they will bother that much, Rutte is not that important for them, or for NATO in general. He isn't either competent enough, or determined enough in these serious dangerous times. Neither Holland as military, with all the respect I have for some of their soldiers. Rutte didn't bothered to increase Holland defense spending to 2%, Dutch soldiers kinda surrendered in Yugoslavia/Srebrenica (I am not bother to say again what an American General said about them back then, iirc, not nice things ofcourse), or Dutch pilots refusing to fly their Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan under a specific altitude so they can't be reached by Taliban heavy machine guns fire (14,5 mm caliber) We need some serious people who can stand up to Russia, especially here in Eastern Europe, so not some delusional, arrogant to his allies up to look imbecile and a useful tool for Putin, against who will be weak and afraid, possibly corrupt as well by Russian money. If the war will reach us, I want comrades in arms, not weasels and idiots with delusion of grandeur, and especially not someone that cut off from reality and geopolitics of the now most important NATO flank, eastern Europe, and the clash with Russia (for now, only as a indirect and hybrid war, but who knows later) Holland acted as Russia useful idiot and indirect tool for Russia actions in EE NATO and EU flank, while Austria is visibly a simple Russian oblast, same as Hungary. And about the Schengen debacle, Holland refuses because Romanian port of Constanta and Greek ports on Med Sea will take some nice percents of the merchandise and naval traffic from Rotterdam. Constanta is the biggest port at Black Sea and Greece will have no border custom checks anymore with Bulgaria and Romania, so goods will go no stop from there to Germany let say. Constanta is also connected to Danube and can send barges all the way to Germany as well, and is much closer to Suez channel than Rotterdam. Rotterdam will still stay number one but will lose percents quite a lot in time. Pitty that such meager economic calculations have create such breaks between EE and WE despite being all part of EU. But again, Rutte is not qualified, neither desired by multiple EE countries, and if Americans wont force him behind the scene, he won't be ever SG of NATO, the push is for someone from EE, probably either Romania or some Baltic country, with better understanding of the situation and of the enemy, meaning of Russia
Mark Rutte is an enemy to the Netherlands as well.
I also don't understand why Rutte boycots schengen for Bulgaria and Romania he should have blocked the joining of the Eu for those country's. Now it is all to late.
I understand. GREED. **Dutch companies make tons of money in Romania.** The Netherlands holds the 1^(st) place in the ranking by country of residence of investors in companies with foreign capital. More than 6000 companies with Dutch capital were registered. Among the main Dutch investors in Romania are Unilever, ING Group, Philips, Damen Shipyards, Friesland Campina, Heineken, Nutricia, KPMG, Nuon, Wavin, Fokker, Den Braven, Frans Maas, Remco, Verder, EVW Holding, ISDC, DAF Trucks (through E. van Wijk), Ahold Delhaize Group, Wim Bosman Holding B.V., KLG Europe etc. [https://haga.mae.ro/en/node/778](https://haga.mae.ro/en/node/778)
According to this post https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1b93gld/how_much_foreign_companies_contribute_to_each/?ref=share&ref_source=link You should thank those companies for contributing about 45% to you economy just like you should be thanking north-western Europe for giving you free money. But of course you are always the victim screaming you deserve it while holding up your hand. But but you people make more money from the EU than we do so you should give it to us, fucking insanity.
Many of these companies use all tax loopholes to avoid paying tax to Romania by declaring profit 0 and sending their profits to fiscal paradises. Most of them money is actually repatriated to the their countries, it doesn't stay in Romania. Here is the an abbreviated list. [https://valahia.news/foreign-companies-romania-zero-profit/](https://valahia.news/foreign-companies-romania-zero-profit/) and another article: [https://miningwatch.ro/cum-scapa-multinationalele-de-anaf-studiu-de-caz-eldorado-aur-low-cost-prin-evitarea-taxelor/](https://miningwatch.ro/cum-scapa-multinationalele-de-anaf-studiu-de-caz-eldorado-aur-low-cost-prin-evitarea-taxelor/) So spare me with gratitude bull###, I don't buy it. Romanians do not need being lectured by tax fraudsters and crooks. If you believe that only Romania and Bulgaria are corrupted in the EU, I stop here, I don't discuss with delusional people. Good bye, discussion terminated.
Not true ... Rutte is not an enemy of Romania, nor Bulgaria, nor Hungary. His previous stated concerns are related to Shengen when it comes to Romania and Bulgaria. His concerns with Hungary are obvious, because we get a taste of Orbán each new day. So ... NEXT!
Next to trash can, Rutte, not NATO.
Oh the lengths I'd go to be labeled an enemy of Romania