ABSTRACT
Since World War II, the Netherlands has built a solid reputation as a ‘loyal ally’ of the United States. There have been serious disagreements between the two countries on specific policy issues, but there has remained an underlying recognition among the Dutch that these should not disrupt a relationship considered fundamental. Within the context of US global power, the Netherlands have fulfilled several important functions. The country has been a close ally within international organizations such as NATO and the UN. It has acted as an ideal middle-power operating as a ‘bridge’ between Americans and Europeans (arguably far more suited to and more successful in this role than the United Kingdom). It has a long tradition as a nation defending the moral-legal order in international relations. And it has long been a proponent of free trade.1 Yet, in the early twenty-first century all these issues were put to the test due to the rise of US unilateralism under President George W. Bush. After surveying the importance of NATO for Dutch foreign relations since World War II, the chapter continues by outlining the issues of the last few years that have caused Dutch-American relations to become unsettled through the clash of security interests and international law. How has this close bilateral relationship been affected, and what are the prospects for the future?
