France, Oct. 31 -- The finely balanced provisional results of the Dutch election has intensified the debate over European security and dependence on the United States, prompting urgent questions about defence autonomy and the respective roles of the Netherlands and France.

"The election is still too close to call, but what's clear is that almost all Dutch parties agree on the severity of the Russian threat, and, increasingly, the risks stemming from China," says Bart van den Berg, head of the security and defence programme at the Hague-based think tank, the Clingendael Institute..

Two days after the election, the final result remains undecided. Centrist-liberal D66 has edged ahead of Geert Wilders' far-right PVV, but key votes from Venr...