Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. New Dutch Government Makes Pact to Ban Burqa, Cut Deficit VOA News 30 September 2010 Kenza Drider wears a niqab, as she reads a magazine in Avignon, France, 13 Sep 2010 Photo: AP Kenza Drider wears a niqab, as she reads a magazine in Avignon, France, 13 Sep 2010 Liberals and Christian Democrats in the Netherlands say they will ban the Muslim burqa-style veil as part of a pact to form a minority coalition government backed by the anti-Islam Freedom Party. The pact presented by the parties' leaders Thursday also proposes to cut about $25 billion from the Dutch budget. The incoming coalition government will be dependent on support of the Freedom Party lawmakers to give it a majority in the 150-seat chamber. Christian Democrats are waiting the outcome of their October 2 convention vote before they make a final decision to approve the coalition proposal. The Dutch announcement of an intention to ban the burqa comes less than one month after France's Senate approved a ban on face-covering veils. The vote was France's final step to legalize a ban on niqabs and burqas. Niqabs veil the face and hair while leaving an opening for the eyes. Burqas cover everything and hide the eyes with a mesh screen. France has one of the largest Muslim populations in western Europe, but only an estimated 2,000 Muslim women in France wear the face-covering veil. Officials in Italy also have fined women for wearing niqabs, and Belgium's lower house has overwhelmingly approved a measure that would ban women from wearing burqas and niqabs in public. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, Bloomberg and Reuters. .