Dutch AAA status not at stake

The Dutch credibility status is in no way at stake, Dutch financial newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) reported on Friday, citing credit rating specialists of Fitch and Standard & Poor's. According to Fitch and Standard & Poor's, the Netherlands are in no danger, said the report. "A bigger support fund is currently no threat to the Dutch rating," said Chris Pryce of Fitch to the Dutch newspaper. "Right now, only very extreme situations, such as the disintegration of the euro zone, could lead to the loss of AAA status." Moritz Kramer of Standard & Poor's agreed with the expert. "If the emergency fund will be doubled, for example to save Italy, the Netherlands is only in danger if all the weak euro countries actually go bankrupt," he stated. "This is such an unlikely scenario that we currently do not have to think about the consequences." "The Netherlands have a strong debt to 60 percent of the gross domestic product," Kramer continued. "In the worst case scenario that will rise by less than 10 percent. That's not good, but it does not bring the credit status at stake." Earlier this week Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager suggested that the AAA credit rating of the Netherlands would be jeopardized if the Dutch government spends even more money in the European emergency fund, which aims to keep the eurozone intact. An increase of the fund is supported by, among others, the European Commission. In a letter to the Dutch parliament, De Jager issued a warning that any increase of the temporary emergency fund could influence the credibility of the AAA economies. Earlier this week there were rumors that France would lose its triple A status.