Lawmakers in the 150-seat Lower House were recalled from summer recess to attend the debate in The Hague, where the opposition laid into the Dutch premier.
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A Dutch backlash against a third deal was led by right-wing politician Geert Wilders, who has called for the Netherlands to withdraw from the European Union. “The Greeks get their money, not the Dutch elderly, but the Greeks”, Wilders said, who proposed a vote of no confidence in the Dutch cabinet.
The movement was later denied by a big majority.
But the current bailout package was negotiated by Rutte’s finance minister, Jeroen Dijsselbloem of the centrist coalition’s Labour party.
Rutte said it was up to the Cabinet to make policy, and parliamentary approval was not required.
Dijsselbloem stated the choice to help the bailout package deal had nothing to do with party politics.
Mr Wilders said Mr Rutte had reneged on a pledge in September 2012 that “enough is enough” and that Greece would get no more financial help from the country.
Although a majority in parliament supported the €86 billion (S$133 billion) bailout, it is unpopular with Dutch taxpayers, especially Rutte’s own conservative base, just as in Germany whose parliament on Wednesday also ratified the rescue for debt-ridden Greece.
The International Monetary Fund, whose chief Christine Lagarde has referred to as the plan “an important step ahead”, has stated it should wait till October to determine whether or not to take part.
“The fact remains that it’s hard for everybody”, Rutte told the NOS national news broadcaster Tuesday during an informal cabinet meeting.
Greece narrowly avoided that outcome when it closed its banks for three weeks and imposed capital controls at the end of June, then accepted – after months of tense negotiations – tough austerity terms demanded by euro zone creditors.
He made the promise during the general election of 2012.
D66 chief Pechtold fiercely attacked Rutte on the difficulty, saying “you can’t look your voters within the eye”.
The finance ministers from the 19 eurozone countries gave the green light on Wednesday for the latest round of bailout funds to Greece, according the EU commissioner for the common euro currency, Valdis Dombrovskis.
“Nobody might have foreseen in 2012 how the state of affairs might have modified a lot”, Rutte informed lawmakers.
Five other opposition parties including Wilders’ Freedom party and the powerful Socialist Party are expected to be against.
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Germany’s parliament overwhelmingly approved a third bailout for Greece on Wednesday, removing the last hurdle to providing new loans to the country and keeping it from defaulting on its debts in as little as 24 hours.
