No less than €200 billion in EU funds is scrutinised by the European Court of Auditors. Under the guidance of moderators Mendeltje van Keulen and Bert van Slooten, the discussion in Nieuwspoort – marked by sharp questions and humour – explored various aspects of this work. How effective is this oversight? What kinds of irregularities are uncovered? And does the Netherlands feel the impact of these findings?
That ‘the watchdog of European finances’ does indeed bite at times became clear from Blok’s examples. He stressed: "When we take on new European loans, we must carefully discuss the repayment structure and consider the consequences of rising interest rates." His warning came at a politically sensitive moment, as just a day earlier, the Dutch House of Representatives had passed the Eerdmans motion, in which the Netherlands opposed the European financing of defense measures through joint loans.
The audience at the first edition of Brusselse Nieuwe Live got exactly what the organisers aimed for: a lively insight into the political and administrative workings of Europe, with plenty of opportunities for interaction with the guest speaker. Curious? You can watch a recording of the event for free here.
The next edition of this series is currently being planned. As soon as the date is confirmed, it will be shared on our social media channels!
