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CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
The Dutch government has collapsed after far-right Wilders pulls out of coalition. What now?
Dutch opposition parties on Wednesday called for fresh elections as soon as possible, a day after anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders sparked the collapse of the country's four-party coalition government. Prime Minister Dick Schoof's administration fell apart when Wilders withdrew his Party for Freedom ministers from the ruling coalition in a dispute over a crackdown on migration. Schoof and the ministers of three remaining parties remain in power as a caretaker cabinet. The government, with limited powers, now has to lead the country for months before new elections and during what could — again — be protracted talks to cobble together a new coalition in the fragmented Dutch political landscape after the vote. Lawmakers can declare some policy areas "controversial" during the caretaker period, which would restrict the government from taking concrete action on those issues. Schoof, a career civil servant who was handpicked by Wilders a year ago to lead the government, said he had repeatedly told coalition leaders in recent days that bringing down the government would be "unnecessary and irresponsible." Schoof's 11-month-old administration goes down as one of the shortest-lived governments in Dutch political history. Wilders told reporters that he was withdrawing his support for the coalition over its failure to act on his desire for a clampdown on migration, saying he "signed up for the toughest asylum policy and not the downfall of the Netherlands." Coalition partners rejected that argument, saying they all support cracking down on migration. What happens next The Dutch electoral commission will schedule a general election for all 150 seats in the Second Chamber of parliament. It is very unlikely to happen before the fall because of a parliamentary recess that starts July 4 and runs to Sept. 1, and that will be followed by several weeks of campaigning. In a statement to lawmakers, Schoof said he wants to keep control, even in caretaker mode, of vital policies over the coming months, highlighting security concerns and the need to continue support for Ukraine, as well as the global trade war unleashed since the start of U.S. President Donald Trump's second term, "because that can have a direct effect on the Dutch economy and on our business community." He acknowledged that some other policies will be put on ice until there is a new coalition. Opposition lawmakers urge speedy election "I hope we can organize elections as quickly as possible, in the shortest possible time," said Frans Timmermans, the former European commissioner who now leads a two-party, centre-left bloc. He told The Associated Press that it was "an opportunity for all democratic parties to rid ourselves of the extremes because it's clear that with the extremes you can't govern. When things get difficult, they run away." Timmerman's bloc of the Labour Party and Green Left is challenging Wilders's party for top spot in Dutch polls. Wilders's party won the most seats at the last election in November 2023 with a harsh anti-migrant and anti-Islam platform, in a shocking surge toward the far-right. Last week, Wilders unveiled a plan to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders, turning away all asylum-seekers and halting family reunions for those already granted refugee status, warning that his party would be "out of cabinet" if stricter measures on migration weren't implemented. Lawmakers used Wednesday's debate to attack Wilders for failing to make good while in office on his 2023 election pledges. "You turned your back on these people," Jimmy Dijk of the Socialist Party said, suggesting that Wilders apologize to his voters. Wilders also is looking forward to campaigning. "Let's go back to the voter," he said. What about the NATO summit? The government says it will still be hosting the meeting of government leaders from the NATO alliance in The Hague later this month. "We look forward to welcoming all NATO allies on 24 June," Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a post on X shortly after the administration's collapse. He also said the Netherlands will continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. The Netherlands has provided key arms to Kyiv, including F-16 fighter jets.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wilders threatens to leave Dutch government if no halt to asylum
Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders has reiterated his threat to break up the governing coalition in The Hague if his demands for a relentlessly tough stance on asylum seekers are not met. Millions of Dutch people, he said, expected the implementation of a corresponding 10-point plan from his Party for Freedom (PVV), Wilders wrote on X on Sunday. The PVV leader added: "Let me be very clear: If the majority of our proposals from the 10-point asylum plan are not adopted (and thus added to the coalition agreement) and the government does not implement them as quickly as possible, the PVV will exit this coalition." Wilders issued the threat shortly before consultations by the four-party coalition on the PVV's demands, which, according to the ANP news agency, were scheduled for Monday evening. The PVV, the strongest force in parliament since the recent election, is demanding the closure of borders to all asylum seekers. If necessary, the army should be deployed to control the borders, Wilders had stated during the presentation of the plan a week ago. He also demanded that tens of thousands of Syrian refugees should be sent back to their homeland, and asylum centres should be closed. Additionally, Wilders is calling for an end to family reunification for recognized refugees and the expulsion of criminal individuals with dual nationality, with their Dutch nationality then being revoked.
