(THE HAGUE) - A majority in Dutch parliament backs a return of so-called golden shares held by the government to protect strategic industries against foreign takeovers.

Although the Dutch parliament is in recess, a roundup by the ANP news agency of the most important parties showed a majority supports the idea of giving the Dutch government special golden shares.

The measure would give the holder veto rights in certain circumstances and can be used to protect a company from possible takeover.

Ruling coalition partners Christian Democrat CDA and Labour are calling for a return of the golden share together with the far-left Socialist Party, the biggest opposition party.

"Forty percent of our economy is carried by companies that we do not want to privatize completely but do not want to keep completely state-owned either, such as public utility companies, public transport, health care and education," Labour MP Fred Crone told Dutch media Wednesday.

The Dutch state in November shed its last golden shares in the former Dutch postal services company, since renamed TNT, to comply with rulings of the European courts, which oppose such arrangements.

On Monday EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, in an interview with a German newspaper, suggested that golden shares could be used to protect strategically important European companies against foreign takeovers.

There is growing unease in Europe about the growing clout of state-financed investment funds from Russia, China and the Gulf states in European industry.

On Monday in the European takeover battle over Dutch ABN Amro bank, British bidder Barclays announced it had teamed up with a state-linked financial institutions in China and Singapore to boost its new bid.

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