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Dutch public weary of foreign takeovers of business icons


Tags: Excerpts from the Windmill

AMSTERDAM – Over half of the Dutch public is concerned about foreign takeovers of leading Dutch businesses, reports a polling firm. This finding was based on a survey of 800 respondents. Older people particularly regret such transfers of ownership of well known companies. Less concerned about the issue were those surveyed who voted for the conservative liberal party VVD and the orthodox Christian party SGP. Voters supporting the Socialist Party and the Dutch Labour party PvdA think that shareholders have too much control over the businesses. The issue has been in the news because of the unfriendly takeover of the giant Dutch international ABN Amro bank group by a consortium which sees a financial opportunity in splitting up the Dutch business icon. Over 95 percent of ABN Amro’s shares were tendered to the consortium of three financial groups.