ABSTRACT
The Netherlands was one of the six founding members of the European Community and its forerunners. Until the first enlargement in 1973, it represented more than seven per cent of both EC population and gross domestic product. In political terms it acted as the main broker between the quarrelling Member States of France and Germany; Italy and Belgium were distracted by domestic problems and Luxembourg was less capable of mediating. For that brokerage, the country was rewarded with important positions, particularly (from 1958 to 1977) the Commissioner of DG VI (Agriculture), where 80 per cent of the European budget was spent. Four decades later, the Netherlands represents roughly 4.5 per cent of EU population and GDP and is no longer invited to playa major political role; France and Germany created their special forms of accommodation and new larger Member States (UK, Spain) entered the scene. At best, the country is now the largest of the ten small Member States. The changing political geography of the Union did reduce the importance of the country. But, conversely, for the country the Union has become more important than ever: in 1951 it gained 38 per cent of its national income from exports, but in 1990 the figure was 53 per cent and three-quarters of those exports went to EU countries.
