Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

"Heavyweights in the Dutch House of Representatives confirmed that the ruling liberal House of Representatives Speaker Huntington invited senior members of the Netherlands regardless of faction to visit Spain."

Michael, the Christian leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Netherlands House of Representatives, confirmed on the afternoon of February 17 that House Speaker Huntington invited several senior members to visit Spain. Although they are from different factions, he was also one of the invitees, but he has declined the invitation.

This is the first time a political figure has confirmed that Huntington indeed has plans to visit Spain.

Michael confirmed to "European Times" on the afternoon of February 17 that he and Hanks, director of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, were invited by Speaker Huntington.

Michael said that he was unable to go to Spain with Huntington because he had personal commitments that conflicted with his trip to Spain. The trip to Spain was scheduled to take place before the 20th, but Michael did not provide an exact date.

Other newspapers prepared to conduct exclusive interviews, but a spokesman for Michael did not respond to relevant reports.

"Any MP who wants to go should go," Mackle said in a brief interview in the House of Representatives, according to the European Times. "This demonstrates political deterrence against the Disraeli government in the UK."

But Michael also believes that Speaker Huntington should pay attention to military issues that may escalate the situation.

In addition, according to "European Times", Huntington's ally in the House of Representatives and fellow liberal member Akers also confirmed to "European Times" on the 17th that Huntington invited him to visit Spain, but he was unable to attend.

One blow stirred up a thousand waves. As these Dutch politicians confirmed, it is no longer possible to turn back on Speaker Huntington’s visit to Spain. It has now reached a point where he has to go.

Therefore, the development of the situation in the three countries of Britain, the Netherlands and Spain has aroused onlookers in Europe and even the world.

Even other countries are gearing up, seemingly waiting to see a good show unfold.

Hermann Van Rompuy, dean of the School of Diplomacy at Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands, and also a special commentator for the most influential "European Times" in Europe, made a bold statement in an exclusive interview with "European Times" on February 17, 1869. Visit to comment.

He pointed out that the Dutch Prime Minister Tolbeck failed to successfully persuade the Speaker of the House of Representatives Huntington not to visit Spain, but instead provoked a backlash from two groups of members of the Spanish Parliament, calling on the Netherlands never to succumb to British pressure.

Therefore, relevant departments of the Tolbeck government have begun to make necessary arrangements and deployments to coordinate with his visit to Spain.

The 58-year-old Huntington, who has served in the House of Representatives for more than 30 years, is known for his "anti-British protection of the Netherlands". He ranks second in the order of succession to the Dutch government, second only to the Speaker of the Senate. The mid-term elections in November this year are about to take place. In this situation, it is natural to hope for more "performances" for himself and the liberals to enrich the factional votes.

Herman Van Rompuy said that since the Spanish Herald disclosed Huntington's plan to visit Spain on February 9, 1869, the Netherlands and Britain had exchanged hands with each other several times. After Prime Minister Tolbeck stated at a press conference that "the military has opinions," opposition in London gradually increased.

He said that these days, the British Empire has privately told the Netherlands through multiple channels that "if Huntington visits Spain and says what he wants to say, the British Empire will not rule out using force."

Hermann Van Peron pointed out that it includes warship escort and interception of visiting ships passing through the English Channel or prohibition of landing on the Spanish coast.

The point, he said, was that the British Empire's high-profile opposition, which was now also sparking a backlash in the Dutch parliament, left Tolbeck in a dilemma, and with immigration underway, he had to arrange escorts for Huntington's visit to Spain.

If the accompanying warships of the British Empire were rational and self-controlled, both sides might just go through the motions and achieve their mission, but without harming the peace. Naturally, this would be the best.

He was worried that if the warship personnel on both sides were not so operational but emotional, for example, if the captains of either Dutch and British warships were not rational and self-controlled, the warships of the two sides would collide or even open fire, possibly causing the British and Dutch warships to collide. Tensions have risen, even causing the conflict between the two countries to expand. If the British Empire gains the upper hand in the conflict, the Netherlands will be disgraced. The prestige and leadership of the Netherlands as a leading force in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific and the international organizations established by the Netherlands will also be seriously damaged. damaged.

But if the Netherlands gains the upper hand, the Prime Minister of the British Empire and others will also face the risk of impeachment, and their status will also be affected. London may not directly do anything to the Netherlands for a while, but it will pick on the weak and spread its dissatisfaction to the Netherlands. Spain, in particular, did not dare to expand the construction wave of Gibraltar because it was wary of Spain in the past.

Hermann Van Peron pointed out that the Netherlands is a country with three branches of power: the executive branch and the legislative branch are not subordinate to each other and have roughly equal status. As long as one of Huntington's speakers visits Spain, even if Tolbeck is the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, he can only respect it and must fulfill his duty of protection. The only person who can make Huntington change his mind is himself. If he decides to give up visiting Spain, I am afraid that he will also A good reason must be found, because in history, the Italian deputy speaker has also found a reason not to visit this sensitive area in Spain.

If Speaker Huntington had given up visiting Spain, perhaps the Anglo-Dutch crisis could have been avoided.

Perhaps in such a serious situation in London, it seems difficult for Huntington, a stalwart of the Dutch House of Representatives who has been anti-British for 30 years, to give up.

When Hermann Van Peron was asked how to solve the current Anglo-Dutch crisis. Van Peyron pointed out the crux.

He said that the issue of the Speaker of the Dutch House of Representatives visiting Spain continues to be discussed, and there is even the possibility of a storm coming. However, this trip is of great significance. If the Spanish opposition parties can unite as one, it is recommended that the Spanish government's ruling party politely refuse Huntington's visit. The crisis can be resolved immediately.

First of all, if Spain declines Huntington's visit, it can immediately relieve Dutch Prime Minister Tolbeck. Prime Minister Tolbeck expressed at the first moment that this trip was not appropriate, but now the Dutch are making a strong push to move forward. Prime Minister Tolbeck seems to be unable to stop him and is in a dilemma. It is even similar to how Italy persuaded the deputy speaker to resign to avoid causing a crisis among the three countries of Britain, Spain and Italy. . Dutch government agencies were unable to resist parliamentary pressure.

But if the weak Spain opposes this time, it is equivalent to providing the best solution for Tolbeck, and even the best step down for Speaker Huntington. Don't let the small gain lead to the destruction of the two prime ministers Tolbeck and Disraeli. Better communication can actually increase Prime Minister Tolbeck's political bargaining chip. In this way, a small amount of troops can make a big difference, and the Netherlands will definitely support Spain's position and interests even more afterwards.

For London, this could also disarm the alarm. Otherwise, a lot of effort will be spent not to say anything, or even the gun may go off, but it will be difficult to deal with the aftermath. Similarly, this can also be regarded as Spain's goodwill. London will surely understand this and relax its foreign policy towards Spain. Gibraltar will also be more careful to prevent Spanish national sentiment from counterattacking again.

Paying attention to the situation in Spain, a polite refusal can avoid the shock of the situation and the possible losses of the Spanish army. If the UK really starts to strengthen the construction of Gibraltar and blocks and intercepts the waters around Spain, it may cause the opponents of the Spanish ruling party to "rise" again, causing There is major internal instability, the consequences of which are difficult to estimate. It is unclear how the relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom will deteriorate in the future.

Hermann Van Peron z pointed out the end. Finally, maintaining the relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom will help maintain a certain degree of economic dependence on the Netherlands and prevent unilateral diplomatic approaches, and prevent one road from going dark.

The cabinet government led by Prime Minister Ramon Narvaez can reap dividends, and the government is guaranteed to make profits without losing money.

It can be seen from this that Herman said that Spain is currently facing a major national security crisis. As long as the government and opposition forces work together, the Spanish government can do good things and turn danger into safety. It can even create many post-event peace dividends for the British, Dutch and Spanish parties, killing many birds with one stone. , it’s worth thinking twice.

I have the same idea as Hermann Van Peron.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian Times, Krim, director and chief researcher of the Australia Institute, also pointed out that Spain proactively raised a question - "Can Spain take the initiative to refuse the visit of Speaker Huntington?"

He pointed out that when it was impossible for Britain and Spain to lower their tough stance, Spain's initiative to ask Huntington to change or postpone his itinerary was undoubtedly a relatively operational and flexible approach.

He said that according to the "Australian Times" report, the Speaker of the Dutch House of Representatives Huntington plans to visit Spain and show support for Spanish territory. If the trip takes place, it will be Spain's greatest support and is of great significance to Spain. However, it will also affect the relationship between Britain, France and London. Strong response.

Under the current tripartite framework between Britain, the Netherlands and Spain, in order to prevent the situation among the three countries from falling into crisis, can Madrid take the initiative to refuse Huntington's visit?

Indeed, for Prime Minister Ramon Narvaez and the ruling party he leads, a very slow visit will undoubtedly enhance their governing capital.

Nowadays, when national politicians from Europe and other places visit Spain, they are very reluctant to touch the Gibraltar issue. If Huntington, Speaker of the Dutch House of Representatives, can make the trip and support Spain's public stance on the British issue of regaining Gibraltar, it will make the relationship between the Netherlands and Spain more difficult. The relationship has been elevated to a higher level, which is something that Prime Minister Ramon Narvaez, who has just been ousted by his predecessor, is very much looking forward to.

This will also be an important boost to his faction in Spain's mid-term parliamentary elections in the near future.

Therefore, it is obviously unrealistic for Prime Minister Ramon Narvaez and his faction to give up such an opportunity and actively refuse Huntington's visit, especially considering that Huntington has long insisted on Spain's territorial claims. This seems to be an unreasonable thing, but based on the current potential dangers in the three countries of Britain, Spain and the Netherlands, this approach may be a more appropriate way to ease the situation at the moment.