Leaving the European Union would boost the Dutch economy, Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right PVV, said on Thursday, quoting a study drawn up by a UK agency.

The Capital Economics report says leaving the EU would allow the Netherlands to increase its prosperity in a way only possible in the distant past. Economic growth figures would be higher than if the Netherlands remains in the EU, the report states.

The Netherlands would no longer be tied to EU rules and requirements, allowing a freer hand to trade with other countries. Gross Domestic Product would be between 10% and 12% higher by 2035 if the Netherlands left the EU, Capital Economics said.

Campaigning

MPs agreed the PVV could spend €270,000 of the money the party receives to run its parliamentary operation on the research on condition it is not used for campaigning purposes.

Wilders welcomed the report, saying it showed the best way out of the current economic crisis. The PVV is set to emerge as the biggest Dutch party in the May European elections.

‘It is not just Geert Wilders saying it, but a noted bureau like Capital Economics,’ the party leader said.

The researchers do assume the transition from the euro to a new currency proceeds without incident and that other EU countries continue to do business with the Netherlands, the NRC points out

Trade

Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said the PVV had commissioned a report to coincide with its standpoint.

‘The Netherlands is an economic power within Europe. We earn most of our money trading with EU partners so the Netherlands has a major interest in an internal market with easy trade,’ he said.

In 2012, Wilders paid a British research group to look into the cost of bringing back the guilder. That report was drawn up by British research group Lombard Street Research, which is known for its euro-sceptic position.

The report’s conclusions (in Dutch)