Europe's swing to the right is 'deeply worrying'
Theresa Fallon, director of the Centre for Russia, Europe, Asia Studies, discusses the Dutch government's collapse after the exit of a far-right party in the coalition, ahead of the NATO summit.
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Dutch voters will head to the polls on October 29 in snap elections triggered by the dramatic collapse of the right-wing ruling coalition. Interior Minister Judith Uitermark announced the election date on Friday and said she would coordinate with municipalities to ensure a smooth voting process. Polls indicate a close race between the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), led by firebrand Geert Wilders, and the Labour/Green Left alliance, headed by former European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans. The centre-right VVD is trailing slightly behind, suggesting a tightly contested vote. The election was called after Wilders withdrew the PVV from the governing coalition in a dispute over immigration policy, pushing Prime Minister Dick Schoof and his cabinet to resign. Wilders had accused the government of dragging its feet on implementing what was intended to be the 'strictest-ever' immigration policy agreed by the four-way coalition. His decision to bring down the coalition prompted a backlash from partners, who accused him of acting out of self-interest. 'We had a right-wing majority and he's let it all go for the sake of his ego,' said Dilan Yesilgoz, leader of the VVD, which was a coalition member. 'It is irresponsible to take down the government at this point,' added Nicolien van Vroonhoven, leader of the NSC, another member of the collapsed alliance. Wilders's PVV stunned the political establishment in November 2023 by winning 37 of the 150 seats in parliament – emerging as the largest party by a strong margin. To govern, he assembled a four-party coalition with the VVD, the farmers' BBB party and the anticorruption NSC – but the price was to give up his ambition to become prime minister. Polling as of May 31 shows the PVV's support has dipped slightly – from 23 percent at the time of the 2023 election to 20 percent. The Labour/Green Left alliance follows closely with 19 percent and currently holds 25 seats in the lower house of parliament, second only to the PVV. The fragmented political landscape makes the outcome difficult to predict. In the meantime, Schoof has said he and his cabinet will continue in a caretaker role until a new government is formed.
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European Union backs ICC after US sanctions on court judges
The European Union 'deeply regrets' the United States sanctions placed on four judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday announced sanctions on four judges whom the US accuses of taking 'illegitimate and baseless actions' against the US and its allies. Responding to the announcement on Friday, von der Leyen said the Hague-based court had the 'full support' of the EU. 'The ICC holds perpetrators of the world's gravest crimes to account & gives victims a voice,' von der Leyen said on X on Friday. 'It must be free to act without pressure.' United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said he was 'profoundly disturbed' by the US decision. 'Attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood,' Turk said. 'Such attacks are deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice,' he added, calling for the sanctions to be withdrawn. Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, which represents national governments of the 27 EU member states, also called the court 'a cornerstone of international justice' and said its independence and integrity must be US State Department said the sanctions were issued after the court made decisions to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a separate decision in 2020 to open an investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan. The four sanctioned judges include Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. EU member Slovenia said it 'rejects pressure on judicial institutions' and urged the EU to use its blocking statute. 'Due to the inclusion of a citizen of an EU member state on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act,' Slovenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X. The mechanism lets the EU ban European companies from complying with US sanctions that Brussels deems unlawful. The power has been used in the past to prevent Washington from banning European trade with Cuba and US sanctions mean the judges are added to a list of specially designated sanctioned individuals. Any US assets they have will be blocked and they are put on an automated screening service used not only by US banks but by many banks worldwide, making it very difficult for sanctioned people to hold or open bank accounts or transfer money. This is not the first time the US has issued restrictions against an ICC official since Trump returned to office for a second term on January 20. Shortly after taking office, Trump issued a broad executive order threatening anyone who participates in ICC investigations with sanctions. Critics warned that such sweeping language could pervert the course of justice, for example, by dissuading witnesses from coming forward with evidence. But Trump argued that the 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant necessitated such measures. He also claimed that the US and Israel were 'thriving democracies' that 'strictly adhere to the laws of war' and that the ICC's investigations threatened military members with 'harassment, abuse and possible arrest'.
