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The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Thursday briefing: How Geert Wilders' exit from Dutch coalition might set up his own comeback
Good morning. The Dutch government dramatically collapsed on Tuesday after far-right politician Geert Wilders pulled out of the coalition, citing his frustration over immigration and asylum policy. Shortly afterwards the prime minister, Dick Schoof, handed in his resignation to King Willem-Alexander. Fresh elections are expected in October. Until then ministers will remain in place in a caretaker capacity. There are a lot of players in this coalition and plenty of initials to keep track of (bear with me). In a political earthquake, Wilders' anti-Islam Freedom party (PVV) emerged as the largest party in parliament in the last election. The other coalition members were the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which came third, the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), which came fourth, and the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), sixth. It took six months of negotiations to piece this coalition government together, and 10 months for it all to come crashing down. Schoof called Wilders' decision 'irresponsible and unnecessary'. The VVD leader, Dilan Yeşilgöz, said she was 'shocked' by the 'super-irresponsible' move. Wilders, for his part, said he would 'fight the coming elections to make the PVV even stronger' with the goal of emerging on the other side as prime minister. In today's newsletter I spoke to Cas Mudde, a Dutch political scientist and leading expert on populism and the radical right who is based at the University of Georgia. That's after the headlines. US news | Donald Trump has signed a sweeping order banning travel from 12 countries and restricting travel from seven others, reviving and expanding the travel bans from his first term. Security concerns and visa overstays, the US president said, justified the move. Fuel poverty | Bereaved families of tens of thousands of dead pensioners could be pursued by tax officials to recoup winter fuel payments under a new system being explored by the Treasury, the Guardian has learned. Israel-Gaza war | The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has detailed the harrowing account of one of its paramedics, Asaad al-Nasasra, 47, who told the organisation he heard Israeli troops shoot first responders. The attack on a convoy of emergency vehicles killed 15 others. UK economy | Keir Starmer has said he hopes a trade deal struck last month with the US can come into effect 'in just a couple of weeks', as the White House has signalled that the UK will be spared the 50% steel and aluminium tariffs that came into force on Wednesday. Global health | A cure for HIV may be closer after researchers discovered a new way to force the virus out of hiding in human cells. This 'overwhelming' breakthrough could help overcome one of the biggest obstacles to a cure: the virus's ability to lie dormant in certain white blood cells. Unstable coalition governments aren't new on the Dutch political scene. The threshold for a party to enter parliament is quite low compared to other European countries. In 2002, a coalition government collapsed in less than 100 days. Still, this latest debacle stands out. Things were rocky for the coalition from the beginning. The two biggest parties, the PVV and NSC, were not especially eager to join the government, as Mudde explains, and neither was the VVD. They eventually reached an agreement that allowed the PVV to be part of the government, but barred Geert Wilders from becoming prime minister or taking a cabinet post. 'From the start this was a very unlikely coalition and they have been fighting about almost everything. That has a lot to do with the fact that Wilders isn't in the government. He's the leader of the biggest party who is very isolated,' Mudde said. It's important to remember that Wilders is the PVV. 'You have all these people in the government from Wilders' party who have no power because the only one who decides is Wilders. He's mostly communicating through Twitter,' Mudde added. The BBB and NSC are both new and inexperienced political parties that were slipping in the polls. The former dominant party, the VVD, was internally divided about joining the coalition and likely to have been searching for an exit strategy. 'Despite this and despite a number of crises, the government survived 2024,' Mudde said. Then came the so-called issues around immigration and asylum. From all accounts, none of the other coalition parties saw it as a crisis – except Wilders. What were Wilders' immigration policies? Wilders had wanted to adopt a 10-point plan to radically reduce immigration and asylum. This included enlisting the army to secure and patrol the borders, turning all asylum seekers back when they reached the Netherlands, closing refugee accommodation facilities, deporting all Syrian refugees, suspending EU asylum quotas, and banning family members joining refugees already in the country. Unsurprisingly, legal experts said several of these proposed policies breached European human rights laws or the UN refugee convention, to which the Netherlands is a signatory. Still, Mudde said the government had tried to bring immigration down through drastic measures. For one, the government wanted to declare a national immigration crisis, which would have granted special powers, but a court struck it down as unconstitutional. 'They have passed many other legislations, but of course it has to be implemented. And that often takes a long time. This is much more about impatience than about not having policies passed,' Mudde said. One of the parties in the coalition was against declaring an immigration crisis. 'But they mostly didn't want to do that because it was clear that it would be struck down by the court. So the difference between the parties has not so much been about what we should do. It is much more about how to do it. It is not as if these other parties have said, no, you are too extreme. They've pretty much given Wilders everything on immigration,' Mudde added. What the government did push for, he said, was bringing immigration down within the legal framework of Dutch liberal democracy. Why did he pull out? Wilders' decision to pull out of the coalition is widely seen as bizarre. Recent polls show the PVV has lost significant voter support since its shock election victory in November 2023. The party is now polling at about 20%, roughly level with the Labour/Green alliance, currently the second-largest bloc in parliament (more on them soon). 'There is no strategic decision here. It is being framed by the other parties as him being unreliable, and this plays into the broader narrative of populists being irrational, like he is some kind of Trump. He is not reckless usually, so this is a very odd decision,' Mudde said. Unlike some other far-right politicians, Mudde added, Wilders is a true believer. 'Wilders has been living for more than 15 years under 24/7 police protection because of the threat of jihadists. And while he denies that this has affected the way he looks at the world, there's no way that this hasn't impacted him.' For Wilders, the fight against immigration, or more bluntly, against Islam and Muslims, is existential. 'It is the only issue for him, it is fundamental. He's not concerned about surviving as leader because he is the party. He believes that the government didn't do what he wanted, so he got out of the government. It's an ideological decision, which strategically doesn't make much sense. That is very rare in politics: to put ideologies over strategy.' What happens next? It is hard to predict who will come out on top in the October election – and much of what is happening now may be forgotten by then. After the collapse, Wilders came out swinging with one clear message to voters: I wasn't allowed to implement the radical changes the country needs. Vote for us because we're too big to ignore. The VVD, under Dilan Yeşilgöz, has responded in a way reminiscent of former prime minister Mark Rutte, Mudde explains: acknowledging that immigration is a major issue but insisting that far-right populists like Wilders are all talk and no delivery. Yeşilgöz hasn't ruled out governing with Wilders again. That risks a repeat of the 2023 election, which was framed around immigration and whether Wilders should be allowed into government, which is a narrative that ultimately benefits him. There is still a chance the VVD could pivot back to traditional issues, such as lowering taxes, he added. If that happens, the Netherlands could end up with a centrist government made up of the VVD, GroenLinks–PvdA, D66, and the Christian Democrats, 'bringing the Netherlands back to where it has been for a long time'. According to Mudde, two key players in setting the political tone are the Dutch media, which has been 'obsessed' with the far right and immigration since the 2002 assassination of Pim Fortuyn, and the VVD itself. 'Politicians create their own realities,' Mudde says. 'And so just as Starmer thinks that if he is going to be Reform-lite, then he's going to win back the white working-class vote, which he never lost actually, the VVD has a similar story: they think that if we campaign as the trustworthy anti-immigrant party, then we will win back the voters who we lost to Wilders.' But if they choose to focus on immigration, the media will follow, and the far right will benefit, he added. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion And what of the centre left? The Social Democrats and the Greens are running on a joint list and are very close to merging, Mudde explains. That's made them more interesting to the media and helped them poll neck-and-neck with the far-right PVV. 'They've got Frans Timmermans, who's a heavyweight. But they haven't been able to truly shift the discourse. He'll likely campaign against the far right — 'Vote for us, or you'll get Wilders' — but that still keeps the focus on Wilders,' Mudde said. 'Whereas if you campaign on housing, education, healthcare, which are major issues in the Netherlands, then you force the VVD to have a position on that. You even force Wilders to have a position on that.' A gorgeous edition of our Long Wave newsletter (sign up here!) this week from Nesrine Malik. She explains how 'African fashion' (for want of a less generalising phrase) went global, from gallabiyas to kaftans. Charlie Lindlar, acting deputy editor, newsletters Children in Slovenia are less likely to experience deprivation than anywhere else in Europe. Guardian writer Zoe Williams explores whether that's due to current policies, or whether the answer lies in the country's socialist past. Aamna Keir Starmer may be in Downing Street, Kemi Badenoch may run the Tories and Nigel Farage may be the figurehead of conservatism – but Rafael Behr reckons one figure looms spookily over our politics and explains its decay: Liz Truss. Charlie The return of Billie Piper to Doctor Who made me smile, as did this roundup by Guardian readers on the series finale. While many welcomed the nostalgia, it's clear the BBC still has work to do to stay relevant. Aamna Here's a rare but fun appearance in the Guardian opinion pages from our own readers' office – on what many see as the egregious overuse of the word 'gotten'. Creeping Americanism, or acceptable if slightly clumsy neologism? You decide. Charlie Tennis | The wildcard French player Lois Boisson, who was ranked 361 in the world at the start of the French Open, stunned sixth seed Mirra Andreeva in a 7-6 6-3 victory to reach the semi-finals on her debut. In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic defeated Alexander Zverev in four sets and will next face world No 1 Jannik Sinner in a semi-final. Football | The England vice-captain Millie Bright has withdrawn from next month's Euros in Switzerland, saying it 'is the right thing for my health and my future'. The decision is a setback for Sarina Wiegman before the defence of the title the Lionesses won three years ago. Football | Chelsea have strengthened their attack by completing the £30m signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich. The club were determined to bring in a new striker this summer and have moved swiftly to secure one of their top targets. 'Chaos fears over return of winter fuel payments' says the Guardian, while the Times has 'Pensioners face tax hit for winter fuel U-turn' and the Express renders it as 'Farage backs call for full U-turn to help OAPs'. The i paper plays this one with a straight bat: 'Pensioners on disability and housing benefit in line for winter fuel payments'. 'Glee school meals' – the Mirror claims 'campaign victories' on that issue and the winter fuel money. 'Reeves forced to drop net zero cuts' – that's the Telegraph while the chancellor gets a better run in the Metro with 'Reeves unveils major transport plan … £15bn to get Britain moving'. Top story in the Financial Times is 'Trump's 'big beautiful bill' will swell US debt by $2.4tn, warns watchdog'. 'Battle lines drawn over immigration' says the Daily Mail, summarising the platforms of 'Keir' and 'Kemi' side by side below. Is AI about to steal your job? Should we believe the warning that AI is about to upend the jobs market? Chris Stokel-Walker reports A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad From its plot to its performances and picturesque Oregon setting, The Goonies remains a timeless piece of cinema. But as it turns 40, it turns out the film still has its secrets, as Ann Lee finds out in this behind the scenes oral history, in which the cast and crew spill on their on-set antics. 'We were a family. We loved each other and we bickered and drove each other mad,' says Kerri Green, who plays cheerleader Andy. 'It's about friendship. It's an underdog story; that idea that if you do this together, you're going to succeed. It was such a magical thing. I have learned to just look back and appreciate how lucky I was to have been part of that.' Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Dutch government collapses after right-wing leader Geert Wilders quits coalition
The Dutch government collapsed on Tuesday, most likely ushering in a snap election, after anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition, accusing other parties of failing to back his tougher immigration policies. But Prime Minister Dick Schoof, an independent, accused the political maverick of irresponsibility, and the other coalition parties denied failing to support Wilders, saying they had been awaiting proposals from his PVV party's own migration minister. PVV ministers will quit the cabinet, leaving the others to continue as a caretaker administration until an election unlikely to be held before October. Frustration with migration and the high cost of living is boosting the far right and widening divisions in Europe, just as it needs unity to deal effectively with a hostile Russia and an unpredictable and combative US president in the form of Donald Trump. "I have told party leaders repeatedly in recent days that the collapse of the cabinet would be unnecessary and irresponsible," Schoof said after an emergency cabinet meeting triggered by Wilders' decision. "We are facing major challenges both nationally and internationally that require decisiveness from us," he added, before handing his resignation to King Willem-Alexander. The prospect of a new election is likely to delay a decision on boosting defence spending and means the Netherlands will have only a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of the transatlantic NATO alliance this month. Election may be months away Wilders said he had had no option but to quit the coalition. "I proposed a plan to close the borders for asylum seekers, to send them away, to shut asylum shelters. I demanded coalition partners sign up to that, which they didn't. That left me no choice but to withdraw my support for this government," he told reporters. "I signed up for the strictest asylum policies, not for the demise of the Netherlands." He said he would lead the PVV into a new election and hoped to be the next prime minister. An election is now likely at the end of October or in November, said political scientist Joep van Lit at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Even then, the fractured political landscape means formation of a new government may take months. It remains to be seen whether right-wing voters will see the turn of events as Wilders' failure to turn his proposals into reality, or rather decide that he needs a bigger mandate to get his way, van Lit said. Simon Otjes, assistant professor in Dutch politics at Leiden University, said the PVV must have calculated that the next election would be seen as a referendum on immigration policy, "because they know they would win that". Amsterdam resident Michelle ten Berge hoped that "with the new election we will choose ... a government that's more moderate". But florist Ron van den Hoogenband, in The Hague, said he expected Wilders to emerge the winner and take control of parliament "so he can do like Trump is doing and other European countries where the extreme right is taking over". Immigration a divisive issue Wilders won the last election in November 2023 with an unexpectedly high 23 per cent of the vote. Opinion polls put his party at around 20 per cent now, roughly on a par with the Labour/Green combination that is currently the second-largest grouping in parliament. Wilders had last week demanded immediate support for a 10-point plan that included closing the borders to asylum seekers, sending back refugees from Syria and shutting down asylum shelters. He also proposed expelling migrants convicted of serious crimes and boosting border controls. Migration has been a divisive issue in Dutch politics for years. The previous government, led by current NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, also collapsed after failing to reach a deal on restricting immigration. Wilders, a provocative politician who was convicted of discrimination against Moroccans in 2016, was not part of the latest government himself. He only managed to strike a coalition deal with three other conservative parties last year after agreeing not to become prime minister. Instead, the cabinet was led by the unelected Schoof, a career civil servant.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Dutch government collapses after far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
The Dutch government collapsed today, most likely ushering in a snap election, after anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition, accusing other parties of failing to back his tougher immigration policies. But Prime Minister Dick Schoof, an independent, accused the political maverick of irresponsibility, and the other coalition parties denied failing to support Mr Wilders, saying they had been awaiting proposals from his PVV party's own migration minister. PVV ministers will quit the cabinet, leaving the others to continue as a caretaker administration until an election unlikely to be held before October. Frustration with migration and the high cost of living is boosting the far right and widening divisions in Europe, just as it needs unity to deal effectively with a hostile Russia and an unpredictable and combative US president in the form of Donald Trump. "I have told party leaders repeatedly in recent days that the collapse of the cabinet would be unnecessary and irresponsible," Mr Schoof said after an emergency cabinet meeting triggered by Mr Wilders' decision. "We are facing major challenges both nationally and internationally that require decisiveness from us," he added, before handing his resignation to King Willem-Alexander. The prospect of a new election is likely to delay a decision on boosting defence spending and means the Netherlands will have only a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of the transatlantic NATO alliance this month. Election may be months away Mr Wilders said he had no option but to quit the coalition. "I proposed a plan to close the borders for asylum seekers, to send them away, to shut asylum shelters. I demanded coalition partners sign up to that, which they didn't. That left me no choice but to withdraw my support for this government," he told reporters. "I signed up for the strictest asylum policies, not for the demise of the Netherlands." He said he would lead the PVV into a new election and hoped to be the next prime minister. An election is now likely at the end of October or in November, said political scientist Joep van Lit at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Even then, the fractured political landscape means formation of a new government may take months. It remains to be seen whether right-wing voters will see the turn of events as Mr Wilders' failure to turn his proposals into reality, or rather decide that he needs a bigger mandate to get his way, Mr van Lit said. Simon Otjes, assistant professor in Dutch politics at Leiden University, said the PVV must have calculated that the next election would be seen as a referendum on immigration policy, "because they know they would win that". Amsterdam resident Michelle ten Berge hoped that "with the new election we will choose ... a government that's more moderate". But florist Ron van den Hoogenband, in The Hague, said he expected Mr Wilders to emerge the winner and take control of parliament "so he can do like Trump is doing and other European countries where the extreme right is taking over". Immigration a divisive issue Mr Wilders won the last election in November 2023 with an unexpectedly high 23% of the vote. Opinion polls put his party at around 20% now, roughly on a par with the Labour/Green combination that is currently the second-largest grouping in parliament. Mr Wilders had last week demanded immediate support for a 10-point plan that included closing the borders to asylum seekers, sending back refugees from Syria and shutting down asylum shelters. He also proposed expelling migrants convicted of serious crimes and boosting border controls. Migration has been a divisive issue in Dutch politics for years. The previous government, led by current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, also collapsed after failing to reach a deal on restricting immigration. Mr Wilders, a provocative politician who was convicted of discrimination against Moroccans in 2016, was not part of the latest government himself. He only managed to strike a coalition deal with three other conservative parties last year after agreeing not to become prime minister.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dutch government collapses as far-right leader pulls party out of coalition
The Dutch government has collapsed after the far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the ruling coalition in a row over immigration and asylum policy. The prime minister, Dick Schoof, on Tuesday handed in his resignation and that of his 11-month-old cabinet to King Willem-Alexander. Remaining ministers will stay on in a caretaker capacity until new elections, most likely in October. 'We have decided that there is now insufficient support for this government,' Schoof told reporters in The Hague after an emergency cabinet meeting, adding that he considered Wilders's decision 'irresponsible and unnecessary'. Wilders, whose populist, anti-Islam Freedom party (PVV) finished as the largest in parliament in the last election, said he would 'fight the coming elections to make the PVV even stronger' and 'with the aim of becoming prime minister next time'. The far-right leader had said earlier on Tuesday that all his party's ministers would quit the government after the other three partners in the four-party coalition had rejected his radical proposals on immigration. 'I signed up for the toughest asylum policy, not the downfall of the Netherlands,' he said. He had warned last week that if his plans were not adopted, the PVV – the largest party in parliament, with 37 seats – would be 'out of the cabinet'. Wilders' announcement followed a brief meeting of the already fractious and fragile coalition – the first to include the PVV – which consistently struggled to reach a consensus after being sworn in last July. The coalition between the PVV, the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), centrist New Social Contract (NSC) and liberal-conservative VVD took nearly six months to form and was repeatedly undermined by Wilders, who was not a cabinet member. He wanted it to adopt a 10-point plan aimed at radically reducing immigration and asylum, including enlisting the army to secure and patrol the borders, turning all asylum seekers back at the border and closing refugee accommodation facilities. Wilders also proposed sending all Syrian refugees home, suspending EU asylum quotas and banning family members joining refugees already in the country. Legal experts have said several of the proposals breached European human rights laws or the UN refugee convention, to which the Netherlands is a signatory. Remaining coalition partners reacted with anger and disbelief to Wilders's decision. Dilan Yeşilgöz, the VVD leader, said Schoof had appealed to the four party leaders to act responsibly before Tuesday's meeting. 'He said we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way,' Yeşilgöz said, adding that she was 'shocked' by Wilders's decision, which she called 'super-irresponsible'. Yeşilgöz added of the far-right leader: 'We had a rightwing majority and he lets it all go, for his ego. He's just doing what he wants … This is making us look like fools. He's running away, at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.' Caroline van der Plas of the BBB said she was extremely angry, adding: 'He is not putting the Netherlands first, he is putting Geert Wilders first.' Nicolien van Vroonhoven of the NSC said the move was 'incredible and incomprehensible'. The remaining coalition members could in theory have tried to stay on as a minority administration, but most favoured snap elections. 'The country needs clarity and a strong government,' Yeşilgöz said. 'Elections must be held soon.' Frans Timmermans, the leader of the main opposition Labour/Green alliance, also said fresh elections were the only serious option. 'I see no other way to form a stable government,' Timmermans, a former European Commission vice-president, said. Recent polls show the PVV has lost significant voter support since its shock election win in November 2023. The party is polling at about 20%, roughly level with the Labour/Green alliance that is currently the second-largest in parliament. It is not the first time that Wilders – a polemicist who has spent years in opposition, has a conviction for discrimination and managed to strike a coalition deal only after abandoning his effort to become prime minister – has turned his back on power. In 2010 he pledged support to a minority government led by the former prime minister Mark Rutte, but walked away from the confidence and supply arrangement less than two years later after a dispute over government austerity measures. 'You know that if you work with Wilders in a coalition … it won't go well,' Rob Jetten, the leader of the opposition liberal D66 party, told the public broadcaster NOS. 'If it hadn't happened today, it would have happened sometime in the next few weeks.' Jetten said the government had been unable to take many decisions because it was prey to too many 'rows and crises', adding that the other three coalition parties had been taken 'hostage' by Wilders.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
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)
