Dutch lawmakers to meet on austerity, elections
Dutch lawmakers face off at a critical meeting of parliament Tuesday, a day after the government collapsed following a failure to agree on cutting its own budget deficit to meet the EU limits it had itself demanded of other countries.
The immediate question facing party leaders will be what budget statement they can allow caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte to deliver to Brussels by April 30 - a deadline for submitting a preliminary 2013 budget. The note must explain how the Netherlands plans to bring its projected 4.6% 2012 budget deficit below the 3% European limit. (AP)
