Why world is watching EU’s last big 2023 election

THE phrase “double Dutch” refers to language that is unintelligible. That would seem an apt description of the upcoming election in the Netherlands, the last big ballot in Europe this year, whose result is hugely difficult to decipher.

This matters, internationally, for multiple reasons given the stakes in play. For one, the Netherlands boasts the fifth-largest economy in the European Union (EU), and is an influential player on the world stage in wide-ranging policy debates.

For instance, the Netherlands was the first non-G7 country to negotiate bilateral security commitments with Ukraine. It took the lead last summer, along with Denmark, in moving towards donating F16 aircraft to Kyiv and setting up a training centre in Europe.