Dutch government collapses after far-right walkout

Channel 4

2 days ago

The Dutch coalition government has collapsed after veteran far-right leader, Geert Wilders, ordered his ministers to quit their posts this morning.
The remaining three parties in the coalition decided that they cannot continue without a majority in parliament.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof is expected to stay on as caretaker PM after tendering his resignation.
An election is likely to be held after the summer.
The far-right Dutch Freedom Party (PVV)
came first in the last election
held in November 2023. Nonetheless, including the party in government for the first time was controversial.
After months of negotiations, a four-way coalition saw the PVV take five ministerial positions, but party leader Geert Wilders was frozen out of a job.
He has been a vocal opponent of the government from the sidelines ever since.
Last week he issued an ultimatum, demanding the government adopt stringent new anti-migrant policies or he would pull the plug.
The coalition agreement already included a tough migration line. And some of Wilders' suggestions such as the idea of using the army to stop migrants at the border were dismissed as illegal under Dutch and EU law.
This morning, in a meeting which reportedly lasted around 60 seconds, Wilders confirmed to the other parties in the government that the PVV would quit.
Geert Wilders has made no secret of his wish to become Prime Minister and he is expected to make immigration a major theme of his campaign.
The remaining governing parties could have chosen to continue as a minority administration and avoid an election, but are unlikely to do so.
They know that Wilders risks a backlash from the public for causing the government to fall.
Prime Minister Schoof called it an 'unnecessary and irresponsible' move.
'We are facing major challenges nationally and internationally, and more than ever, decisiveness is required for the safety of our resilience and the economy', Schoof said in a hastily arranged press conference this afternoon.
The centre-right VVD said Wilders had chosen ''his own ego and his own interests' over those of the country.
Polls suggest that support for Wilders has fallen 10 points from the highs the PVV enjoyed a year ago. The party is now polling neck and neck with both its former bedfellows on the right, and with the Green-Left opposition.
Critics say that the government has achieved little in its 11 months in office.
The leader of the Green-Left, former European Commissioner, Frans Timmermans, told the Dutch public broadcaster NOS earlier, there is an urgency for change.
'We have had enough of this standstill and that is not helping our country. There is war in Europe and people are very worried about their future. That requires leadership, solidarity and fair sharing.'
The collapse of the government – the third shortest in recent times – is an embarrassment for Dutch politics.
The Netherlands is due to host a major Nato summit later this month with Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer among the leaders due to arrive in The Hague on 24 June.
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