After an urgent migration summit in Malta, a Dutch "no" to Trump and a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May, our Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Publieke Zaken on July 4. Here he answered the question that was burning on everyone's lips was burning: how did that visit to the White House really go? According to Rutte, there was a relaxed atmosphere. After all the same trade background, only I don't have my name on a building, joked the prime minister. Moreover, the Netherlands has a trade deficit compared to the US, so Rutte asked Trump what he was going to do about it. 'The Brexit is and incredible event, but we have no choice but to adequately implement it,' the prime minister said. Good relations with Britain are for the Netherlands of great importance.
After this geopolitical introduction, there was also room for questions from the audience. At Publieke Zaken it is no surprise that the Prime Minister was briefly pressed on energy issues. Rutte emphasized that while the green right has not proven to be a successful brand, it is that this concept is at the basis of his views. 'We must make the Netherlands a guiding country when it comes to the climate. Other countries must know how to find us as is already the case with water and agrofood,' Rutte stated. At the same time, he reiterated that the Netherlands is too small to be too far out of step. We must find a solution within solution or else with the countries surrounding us. According to the prime minister not an option to appeal to the rest of the world for pollution while we ourselves are "letting the pipe smoke. The prime minister was very positive about the Dutch ambitions and the future generation: 'at least I don't have to convince the young people at least I don't have to convince them anymore, because they are already pro-climate'. With this hopeful message in mind, we look back on a successful meeting!
