Rutte denies Euro exit; Opposition wants answers

Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been asked by the House of Representatives to explain his threat of a Euro exit. Rutte is said to have told President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy that the Netherlands may pull out of the Eurozone. Bot the PVV and the SP want to enter into debate with Rutte about this issue, but a Parliament majority feel it unnecessary to interrupt the May recess from 28 April to 9 May for this. GroenLinks wants Rutte to give clarification on the matter before Thursday afternoon, which is sufficiently supported. GroenLinks Representative Jesse Klaver finds it "ridiculous" that Rutte would have threatened to leave the Eurozone. "Out of fear for Euro-criticism Rutte puts our jobs and our economy at stake. We need leadership in Europe, not a politician who threatens to leave the Euro at every difference of opinion", Klaver says. The news that Rutte threatened a Euro exit was published in the Volkskrant and came from Van Rompuy himself as well as other sources in the know. Rutte was at odds with Van Rompuy's plans for the Eurozone, which includes making strict agreements between Brussels and member states about reformations. Member states that adhered to these agreements would be rewarded. Rutte was strongly against this plan, and said during a lunch meeting: "If that would happen, the Netherlands would step out of the Eurozone." The Prime Minister denies using those words, but he did say that he responded to Van Rompuy using "very strong wordings" to make it clear that he would veto plans for a far-reaching European unification.