“As a country that historically was in fact deeply divided along religious and political lines – surprising perhaps to most foreigners – the Dutch Republic, and later the Netherlands, developed a consensus-driven culture. Though every Dutch citizen perennially has an opinion on every topic that they always feel obligated to share, Dutch culture is unexpectedly uncomfortable with debates where the aim is to convince the other side. Opinions are there to be shared with characteristic Dutch directness but not to be changed by argument. Moreover, an opinion is not a vision, as visions are viewed with scepticism in the lowlands. The Netherlands shares the unease with big visions in its political culture with Germany – Chancellor Helmut Schmidt famously remarked that if one sees visions, one should consult a physician – albeit the Netherlands and Germany have this inclination for different historical reasons. In the Netherlands, visions are simply seen as not pragmatic.

The Netherlands, as a small-to-middle-sized state stuck between Europe’s major powers, has ample experience with adapting to and managing the whims of the great powers. Before WWII, it pursued these objectives through neutralism, but after the experience with the war, it swung to a committed transatlantic ally – which also neatly mapped onto its already strong economic ties with the US and UK. Postwar policymakers across the political spectrum understood and understand that it is better to spread the costs and risks than for the Netherlands to risk being isolated again; the Netherlands shows up enough to make sure that the show goes on.

As a member state, the Netherlands therefore fits perfectly with the NATO approach – always ready to participate in discussions, but ready to go along to get along. For these reasons, the Netherlands is also well-suited to provide secretary generals to the organisation, to smooth over the more substantial political divisions within the transatlantic alliance and which have become more and more overt over the past decade.

The real question is whether Dutch pragmatism and consensus-seeking can survive in an era of major international and domestic shifts. Perhaps they can again be adapted to someone else’s next big idea within European and transatlantic security.”

“Within NATO, the Netherlands plays a supportive role, emphasising cooperation and unity over leading major initiatives. Rather than seeking the spotlight, the Dutch often work behind the scenes to enable collective progress. The Dutch also contribute constructively to NATO’s strategic discussions, particularly in cybersecurity, maritime security, and resilience. Commemorations such as Operation Market Garden – featuring joint jumps by Dutch and NATO paratroopers – symbolise their commitment to shared history and cohesion.

In operations, the Netherlands reliably provides specialised units to missions from Afghanistan to Eastern Europe, supporting NATO’s collective readiness. In 2024, the Netherlands reached NATO’s 2% GDP defence spending benchmark – a major shift after decades of underinvestment. Recent plans include expanding the armed forces, modernising equipment, and investing in the domestic defence industry to strengthen long-term readiness and resilience.

The Dutch role hasn’t been without criticism. Under political pressure, some NATO missions faced unrealistic constraints – understandably not always appreciated by allies. There’s also a growing reliance on ‘Coalitions of the Willing’ to maintain momentum when full NATO consensus proves elusive. This pragmatic shift underscores the difficulty of achieving full consensus in a diverse alliance. While the Netherlands remains committed to multilateral cooperation, participating in or supporting such coalitions reflects the broader tension within NATO between inclusivity and operational urgency.

The appointment of former Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO Secretary General underscores the alliance’s appreciation for Dutch strengths in consensus-building and pragmatic diplomacy. At the same time, it reflects the shifting demands of leadership in an era where unity can no longer be assumed. The Netherlands’ contributions to NATO are also evolving. Domestic support is growing for an expanded military footprint and more frequent exercises, while the renewed emphasis on resilience is encouraging a broader range of ministries and organisations to integrate security considerations into their work. In this changing landscape, the Netherlands faces an opportunity for reflection, recalibration, and renewed ambition in shaping its role within the alliance.”

“As one of the smaller founding members of NATO, the Netherlands suffers from both delusions of grandeur and what is called the Calimero-complex, at once imagining for itself an outsized role within the alliance and being frustrated at being one of the smaller nations. Both sentiments, however, have led to a significant influence within NATO. The Netherlands, with its Atlanticist and Anglo-Saxon outlook, commercial attitude and consensus building traditions has served as a bridge between the European and North-American allies.

Having delivered several secretaries-general, including the current one, means having the opportunity to steer NATO. Although these challenging times with challenging characters involved may prove too difficult even for the ever-smiling and gregarious Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who famously contradicted one of those characters in the lion’s den with that inevitable smile and chuckle. Instead of diplomatic smooth talking and being the grease that keeps the Alliance running, perhaps the Netherlands would be wise to put its money where its mouth is, and be a leader not just in diplomacy but also in action.

As in other NATO members, there have been signs of a willingness to contribute more significantly in military terms. Yet, in characteristic fashion, the Netherlands dares not to get ahead of the pack too far and just proudly buys tanks it once discarded, airs fun and flashy new ads in the media to recruit more personnel, and scours the limited available territory for more exercise space. All the while trying not to offend too many people in the Netherlands who are looking for the customary bargain of bang for your buck, or be too alarmist about the realities in the East, let alone raising the specter of having an actual armed skirmish in which the Netherlands gets involved. But buying our way out of a moral dilemma by being one of the larger contributors to Ukraine, in terms of financial and military aid, is not enough anymore.”

Photo header: Shutterstock