MPs are very sceptical about defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop’s suggestion to link the size of the defence budget to economic growth, the Volkskrant reports on Monday.

In an interview with the Telegraaf on Sunday, the minister said the link is necessary if the Netherlands is to fulfil its military ambitions.
Christian Democrat MP Raymond Knops said Middelkoop is going too far. ‘Why not link education and health to economic growth as well? The budget is easy to draw up, but the money won’t be used any more efficiently,’ he told the paper.
Labour (PVDA) MP Angelien Eijsink asked what the problem was in the first place, while Socialist Party defence spokesman Harry van Bommel tells the paper he is ‘totally against’ the plan. Only the Liberals (VVD) support the minister.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the defence budget was about 2.6% of GDP. It is now 1.4%. If nothing is done, the minister forecasts a further drop to 1.2% of GDP.