Officials sound the alarm about stagnating Operation Beethoven

Operation Beethoven, and therefore the planned expansion of ASML near its home base, threatens to run aground on nitrogen regulations, grid congestion and housing shortages. In Dutch daily De Telegraaf, two Brainport officials sound the alarm about this. “We can’t wait until this cabinet collapses or until a solution is found in a few years,” says Eindhoven Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem. He denounces the “denial or cover-up” of the problems by lawmakers and the administration.

The cry for help puts a possible expansion of ASML elsewhere in Europe back on the table. The company floated this option as leverage to get more support from The Hague. This produced results: a substantial support package was agreed upon. As is becoming clear now, however, funds and political lip are insufficient.

Last week, CEO Christophe Fouquet called for more political support for world-leading European firms.