Dutch king accepts government's resignation after Wilders withdrawal
The HAGUEcTypeface:> Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof, while asking him to remain in office in a caretaker capacity.
'After all, life goes on in the Netherlands and abroad, and decisions have to be taken that cannot be postponed,' Schoof told parliament in The Hague.
The collapse of the unwieldy four-party coalition came after right-wing populist Geert Wilders withdrew his members from the Cabinet in a conflict over migration. Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) formed the largest group in parliament after the party emerged victorious in the November 2023 elections. But PVV ministers and state secretaries have now withdrawn from Schoof's cabinet.
Wilders' move came in for strong criticism in parliament from the coalition parties and from the opposition. (DPA)
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