Dutch Prime Minister resigns after far-right leader quits government
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More news: Just hours after Geert Wilders pulled his Freedom Party (PVV) out of the right-wing coalition, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said that he will resign, continuing in a caretaker role.
As a minority government is unlikely, the remaining coalition members will explore the viability of a coalition in some other form, by bringing in new parties for instance. Should the talks fail, an election will take place.
“In the past days I let all four caucus leaders know several times that the fall of the government would in my opinion be unnecessary and irresponsible,” Schoof told reporters. “Nationally and internationally we are facing big challenges, and more than ever do we need reliability.”
Dutch government collapses after Wilders’ party abandons coalition
The news: Far-right politician Geert Wilders pulled his Freedom Party (PVV) from the Netherlands’ ruling coalition, pushing the government to collapse and likely triggering a snap election.
The context: On Tuesday morning Wilders said that a dispute over the government’s position on asylum meant that the party could no longer remain as part of the coalition.
“No signature for our asylum plans. No changes to the [coalition] agreement. PVV is leaving the coalition,” Wilders posted on X.
The Dutch government is comprised of a coalition between the right-right PVV, populist Farmer-Citizens Movement, centrist New Social Contract and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.
The coalition had met on Tuesday morning to address Wilder’s objective of agreement on his ‘ten-point-plan’ on asylum, but an agreement eluded the group. Last week Wilders proposed the plan to cut migration, included using the army to patrol the boarder, closing refugee accommodations and sending many Syrian refugees back to the country.
“The PVV promised voters the strictest asylum policy ever,” including a proposal to “close the borders to asylum-seekers,” Wilders told reporters after the emergency meeting. When the failed to reach agreement, Wilders said he had “no choice” but to rescind support for the Cabinet.
The Dutch cabinet will meet at 1:30 pm (CEST) in The Hague on Tuesday to discuss the way forward. Parliament could now attempt to find a new coalition with a majority or call elections.
The four-party coalition, led by Wilders’ Freedom Party, lasted about a year.
The sources: Wilders’ X post, Politico, Bloomberg, Bloomberg
