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LeMonde
2 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
The far-right's blackmail in the Netherlands provides a lesson for Europe
When former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte left the office he had occupied for nearly 14 years in July 2024, he spoke of the "excellent Dutch tradition of consultation and intelligent compromises." Did he really believe his own words, given that it had taken more than seven months for four parties, including his own, to agree on a government program heavily shaped by the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, the winner of the November 2023 elections? From 2010-2012, Rutte had briefly attempted to govern with the outside support of the populist and xenophobic leader. He concluded from that experience that any future alliance with Wilders would be impossible. Yet, it was the same Rutte who, in July 2023, paved the way for the PVV's victory. By introducing restrictions on family reunification for refugees, the liberal leader hastened the fall of his last coalition government and, at the same time, lent legitimacy to Wilders's rhetoric about an "asylum tsunami." Other conservative leaders later went further, including Dilan Yesilgöz, who succeeded Rutte as the head of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD, liberal). Adopting the PVV's language on immigration, she also said that, in her opinion, the party was a legitimate political partner. This triggered a shift of 20% of her electorate, suddenly emboldened, to the far right. Naive, reckless or blind, the leaders of the Farmers and Citizens Movement and the New Social Contract party, the PVV's coalition partners in the government painfully formed on July 2, 2024, also felt they had no choice but to negotiate with the far-right party, since it had won 23.5% of the vote in the 2023 legislative elections. The former wanted to defend farmers threatened by plans to cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions and reduce farm sizes; the latter were counting on reforming the country's governance. Resembling a state of emergency The failure of all involved was complete, with polls even predicting their disappearance. By bringing down the government on Tuesday, June 3, Wilders held his former partners responsible for his own impotence and that of a coalition in which mistrust reigned supreme.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Dutch snap election to be held on 29 October after coalition collapse
Following the collapse of the ruling government and the resignation of Prime MInister Dick Schoof, the Netherlands will elect a new parliament on 29 October, outgoing Minister of Internal Affairs Judith Uitermark confirmed on Friday. The snap election was announced less than a year after the Dutch four-party coalition was formed, falling apart after far-right Party For Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders withdrew his ministers. Schoof's 11-month-old administration goes down in history as one of the shortest-lived governments in Dutch political history. Wilders blamed his coalition partners for failing to act on his desire to crack down on migration. Last week, he demanded they sign on to a 10-point plan aiming to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers. He said at the time that if immigration policy is not toughened up, his party 'is out of the cabinet.' A crisis meeting lasted mere minutes before Wilders made good on that pledge, angering other party leaders, who said they all had supported a clampdown on migration. "I'm shocked," leader of the right-wing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Dilan Yesilgöz told reporters, calling the decision "super irresponsible." 'The prime minister who appealed to us this morning said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way,' Yesilgöz added. The national Electoral Council had advised on a 29 October election earlier this week. An earlier election would have been hard to pull off due to a parliamentary recess that begins on 4 July and lasts until 1 September, followed by several weeks of campaigning. It means Schoof will lead a caretaker government when his country hosts the NATO summit in The Hague in a few weeks. Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said the government remains committed to hosting the meeting despite political turmoil. In a statement to lawmakers, Schoof said he wants to maintain control, even in caretaker mode, over vital policies in the coming months. 'As far as I'm concerned, it's about security, both nationally and internationally, including support for Ukraine and everything that's needed for defense," he said. He also wants to be able to act on the economy, including the global trade war unleashed since the start of US President Donald Trump's second term, "because that can have a direct effect on the Dutch economy and on our business community.' D-Day veterans gathered in Normandy on Friday to mark the 81st anniversary of the pivotal military landing in World War II. Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments. Many were there to cheer the ever-dwindling number of surviving veterans in their late 90s and older. All remembered the thousands who died. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth commemorated the anniversary of the D-Day landings, in which US soldiers played a major role, with veterans at the American Cemetery overlooking the shore in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. On 6 June 1944, the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France represented the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to breach Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's defences in western Europe. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The battle — and especially Allied bombings of French villages and cities — killed around 20,000 French civilians between June and August 1944. The exact German casualties are unknown, but historians estimate between 4,000 and 9,000 men were killed, wounded or missing during the D-Day invasion alone. 'The heroism, honour and sacrifice of the Allied forces on D-Day will always resonate with the US Armed Forces and our Allies and partners across Europe,' said Lt Gen Jason T Hinds, deputy commander of US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. 'So let us remember those who flew and fell." "Let us honour those who survived and came home to build a better world. And let us ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by meeting today's challenges with the same resolve, the same clarity of purpose, and the same commitment to freedom.' Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day. Of 160,000 troops landing in Normandy on D-Day, 73,000 were from the US and 83,000 from the UK and Canada. Forces from several other countries took part in the fighting, including French troops under General Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces. More than 2 million Allied soldiers, sailors, pilots, medics and other people from a dozen countries were involved in the overall Operation Overlord, the battle to wrest western France from Nazi control that started on D-Day.
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Netherlands PM Dick Schoof resigns after far-right leader departs
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof says his coalition government will become a caretaker administration after far-right MP Geert Wilders pulled his ministers out of the cabinet. In a day of political chaos in The Hague, Schoof will now let King Willem-Alexander know about the resignation of Party for Freedom members. The caretaker government is expected to host a summit of leaders from the NATO military alliance in three weeks. An election has not been confirmed but it is unlikely to be held before October. Schoof, handpicked by Wilders a year ago to lead the government, said he repeatedly told coalition leaders that tearing down the government was 'unnecessary and irresponsible'. 'We are facing major challenges nationally and internationally and, more than ever, decisiveness is required for the safety of our resilience and the economy in a rapidly changing world,' Schoof said. Wilders decision, announced on X on Tuesday, followed a brief meeting of leaders in parliament. Wilders told reporters the coalition's failure to act on his desire for a clampdown on migration was the reason for withdrawing his ministers. 'The downfall of the Netherlands' Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is still riding high in Dutch opinion polls, said, 'I 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. Dilan Yesilgoz, leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, before the meeting said Schoof urged the leaders to act responsibly. But minutes later, the meeting ended with Wilders' exit. 'I'm shocked,' Yesilgoz said, calling Wilders' decision 'super-irresponsible'. After years in opposition, Wilders' party won the last election on pledges to slash migration. He has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the slow pace of the coalition's efforts to implement his plans. Last week, Wilders demanded that coalition partners sign a 10-point plan aimed at slashing migration. This included the deployment of its army to protect borders and turn away asylum-seekers. He warned that if the immigration policy wasn't tightened, his party was 'out of the cabinet'. 'Not putting the Netherlands first' Caroline van der Plas, leader of the coalition's pro-agriculture right-wing Farmers Citizens Movement, said she was angry at Wilders' decision. 'He is not putting the Netherlands first, he is putting Geert Wilders first,' she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Nicolien van Vroonhoven, leader of the centre-right New Social Contract party that has taken a beating in polls since joining the coalition, said the government could continue without Wilders, saying a minority cabinet 'is definitely an option'. But this now won't happen following Schoof's resignation. Frans Timmermans, the former European Commission climate chief who now leads the main opposition in parliament, welcomed Wilders' decision. He said he would not support a minority government and called for fresh elections as soon as possible. 'It's 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,' he told the Associated Press.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Business
- LeMonde
In the Netherlands, criticism is mounting against Geert Wilders, who triggered the fall of the government
Far-right leader Geert Wilders slammed the door on the ruling coalition in the Netherlands on Tuesday, June 3, after only 336 days in power. Prime Minister Dick Schoof, a senior civil servant with no party affiliation, announced in the afternoon that he would submit the resignation of his team to King Willem-Alexander. The government will continue to handle day-to-day affairs until a new cabinet is formed, likely after fresh legislative elections that are expected in the fall. Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) − which had formed a coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD, liberal), New Social Contract (NSC, centrist), and the Farmer – Citizen Movement (BBB) − brought down the government after his three partners refused to endorse his new plan on asylum and migration. The proposal included a series of radical measures: the deployment of the army to monitor and entirely close borders to asylum seekers, a halt to family reunification, the deportation of Syrian exiles back to their country, an end to the construction of reception centers and the swift expulsion of foreign-born offenders – including those born in the Netherlands and holding dual nationality, among other measures.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Dutch PM resigns after Wilders' MPs quit coalition
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof says his coalition government will become a caretaker administration after populist nationalist MP Geert Wilders pulled his ministers out of the cabinet in a dispute about a migration crackdown. The announcement completed a day of political turmoil in The Hague sparked by Wilders' decision to turn his back on the ruling coalition. Schoof said he would offer the resignation of ministers from Wilders' Party for Freedom to the Dutch king. He and the other ministers will remain in office in a caretaker capacity, he told reporters. The decision means the Netherlands will have a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of leaders from the NATO military alliance in three weeks. No date for a new election has been set but it is unlikely to be held before October. 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". "We are facing major challenges nationally and internationally and, more than ever, decisiveness is required for the safety of our resilience and the economy in a rapidly changing world," Schoof said. Wilders announced his decision early on Tuesday in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration. Wilders told reporters that he was withdrawing his support for the coalition and pulling his ministers out of the cabinet over its failure to act on his desire for a clampdown on migration. "I signed up for the toughest asylum policy and not the downfall of the Netherlands," said Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is still riding high in Dutch opinion polls although the gap with the centre-left opposition is negligible. Coalition partners rejected that argument, saying they all support cracking down on migration. Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, said before the meeting that Schoof urged the leaders to act responsibly. "The prime minister who appealed to us this morning said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way," Yesilgöz told reporters in parliament. But just minutes later, the meeting was over and so was Wilders' involvement in the government. "I'm shocked," Yesilgöz said, calling Wilders' decision "super-irresponsible". After years in opposition, Wilders' party won the last election on pledges to slash migration. He has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the slow pace of the coalition's efforts to implement his plans. Last week, Wilders demanded coalition partners sign on to a 10-point plan that aims to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers. He said at the time that if immigration policy is not toughened up, his party "is out of the cabinet". He made good on that pledge on Tuesday. Caroline van der Plas, leader of the pro-agriculture populist Farmers Citizens Movement that is part of the coalition, said she was angry at Wilders' decision. "He is not putting the Netherlands first, he is putting Geert Wilders first," she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Nicolien van Vroonhoven, leader of the New Social Contract party that has taken a battering in polls since joining the coalition and the departure of its talismanic leader Pieter Omtzigt, said the government could continue without Wilders, saying a minority cabinet "is definitely an option". Schoof's statement appeared to put an end to such a course of events. Frans Timmermans, the former European Commission climate chief who now leads the main opposition bloc in parliament, welcomed Wilders' decision. He said he would not support a minority government and called for fresh elections as soon as possible. with Reuters Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof says his coalition government will become a caretaker administration after populist nationalist MP Geert Wilders pulled his ministers out of the cabinet in a dispute about a migration crackdown. The announcement completed a day of political turmoil in The Hague sparked by Wilders' decision to turn his back on the ruling coalition. Schoof said he would offer the resignation of ministers from Wilders' Party for Freedom to the Dutch king. He and the other ministers will remain in office in a caretaker capacity, he told reporters. The decision means the Netherlands will have a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of leaders from the NATO military alliance in three weeks. No date for a new election has been set but it is unlikely to be held before October. 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". "We are facing major challenges nationally and internationally and, more than ever, decisiveness is required for the safety of our resilience and the economy in a rapidly changing world," Schoof said. Wilders announced his decision early on Tuesday in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration. Wilders told reporters that he was withdrawing his support for the coalition and pulling his ministers out of the cabinet over its failure to act on his desire for a clampdown on migration. "I signed up for the toughest asylum policy and not the downfall of the Netherlands," said Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is still riding high in Dutch opinion polls although the gap with the centre-left opposition is negligible. Coalition partners rejected that argument, saying they all support cracking down on migration. Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, said before the meeting that Schoof urged the leaders to act responsibly. "The prime minister who appealed to us this morning said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way," Yesilgöz told reporters in parliament. But just minutes later, the meeting was over and so was Wilders' involvement in the government. "I'm shocked," Yesilgöz said, calling Wilders' decision "super-irresponsible". After years in opposition, Wilders' party won the last election on pledges to slash migration. He has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the slow pace of the coalition's efforts to implement his plans. Last week, Wilders demanded coalition partners sign on to a 10-point plan that aims to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers. He said at the time that if immigration policy is not toughened up, his party "is out of the cabinet". He made good on that pledge on Tuesday. Caroline van der Plas, leader of the pro-agriculture populist Farmers Citizens Movement that is part of the coalition, said she was angry at Wilders' decision. "He is not putting the Netherlands first, he is putting Geert Wilders first," she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Nicolien van Vroonhoven, leader of the New Social Contract party that has taken a battering in polls since joining the coalition and the departure of its talismanic leader Pieter Omtzigt, said the government could continue without Wilders, saying a minority cabinet "is definitely an option". Schoof's statement appeared to put an end to such a course of events. Frans Timmermans, the former European Commission climate chief who now leads the main opposition bloc in parliament, welcomed Wilders' decision. He said he would not support a minority government and called for fresh elections as soon as possible. with Reuters Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof says his coalition government will become a caretaker administration after populist nationalist MP Geert Wilders pulled his ministers out of the cabinet in a dispute about a migration crackdown. The announcement completed a day of political turmoil in The Hague sparked by Wilders' decision to turn his back on the ruling coalition. Schoof said he would offer the resignation of ministers from Wilders' Party for Freedom to the Dutch king. He and the other ministers will remain in office in a caretaker capacity, he told reporters. The decision means the Netherlands will have a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of leaders from the NATO military alliance in three weeks. No date for a new election has been set but it is unlikely to be held before October. 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". "We are facing major challenges nationally and internationally and, more than ever, decisiveness is required for the safety of our resilience and the economy in a rapidly changing world," Schoof said. Wilders announced his decision early on Tuesday in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration. Wilders told reporters that he was withdrawing his support for the coalition and pulling his ministers out of the cabinet over its failure to act on his desire for a clampdown on migration. "I signed up for the toughest asylum policy and not the downfall of the Netherlands," said Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is still riding high in Dutch opinion polls although the gap with the centre-left opposition is negligible. Coalition partners rejected that argument, saying they all support cracking down on migration. Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, said before the meeting that Schoof urged the leaders to act responsibly. "The prime minister who appealed to us this morning said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way," Yesilgöz told reporters in parliament. But just minutes later, the meeting was over and so was Wilders' involvement in the government. "I'm shocked," Yesilgöz said, calling Wilders' decision "super-irresponsible". After years in opposition, Wilders' party won the last election on pledges to slash migration. He has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the slow pace of the coalition's efforts to implement his plans. Last week, Wilders demanded coalition partners sign on to a 10-point plan that aims to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers. He said at the time that if immigration policy is not toughened up, his party "is out of the cabinet". He made good on that pledge on Tuesday. Caroline van der Plas, leader of the pro-agriculture populist Farmers Citizens Movement that is part of the coalition, said she was angry at Wilders' decision. "He is not putting the Netherlands first, he is putting Geert Wilders first," she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Nicolien van Vroonhoven, leader of the New Social Contract party that has taken a battering in polls since joining the coalition and the departure of its talismanic leader Pieter Omtzigt, said the government could continue without Wilders, saying a minority cabinet "is definitely an option". Schoof's statement appeared to put an end to such a course of events. Frans Timmermans, the former European Commission climate chief who now leads the main opposition bloc in parliament, welcomed Wilders' decision. He said he would not support a minority government and called for fresh elections as soon as possible. with Reuters Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof says his coalition government will become a caretaker administration after populist nationalist MP Geert Wilders pulled his ministers out of the cabinet in a dispute about a migration crackdown. The announcement completed a day of political turmoil in The Hague sparked by Wilders' decision to turn his back on the ruling coalition. Schoof said he would offer the resignation of ministers from Wilders' Party for Freedom to the Dutch king. He and the other ministers will remain in office in a caretaker capacity, he told reporters. The decision means the Netherlands will have a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of leaders from the NATO military alliance in three weeks. No date for a new election has been set but it is unlikely to be held before October. 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". "We are facing major challenges nationally and internationally and, more than ever, decisiveness is required for the safety of our resilience and the economy in a rapidly changing world," Schoof said. Wilders announced his decision early on Tuesday in a message on X after a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration. Wilders told reporters that he was withdrawing his support for the coalition and pulling his ministers out of the cabinet over its failure to act on his desire for a clampdown on migration. "I signed up for the toughest asylum policy and not the downfall of the Netherlands," said Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is still riding high in Dutch opinion polls although the gap with the centre-left opposition is negligible. Coalition partners rejected that argument, saying they all support cracking down on migration. Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, said before the meeting that Schoof urged the leaders to act responsibly. "The prime minister who appealed to us this morning said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way," Yesilgöz told reporters in parliament. But just minutes later, the meeting was over and so was Wilders' involvement in the government. "I'm shocked," Yesilgöz said, calling Wilders' decision "super-irresponsible". After years in opposition, Wilders' party won the last election on pledges to slash migration. He has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the slow pace of the coalition's efforts to implement his plans. Last week, Wilders demanded coalition partners sign on to a 10-point plan that aims to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers. He said at the time that if immigration policy is not toughened up, his party "is out of the cabinet". He made good on that pledge on Tuesday. Caroline van der Plas, leader of the pro-agriculture populist Farmers Citizens Movement that is part of the coalition, said she was angry at Wilders' decision. "He is not putting the Netherlands first, he is putting Geert Wilders first," she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Nicolien van Vroonhoven, leader of the New Social Contract party that has taken a battering in polls since joining the coalition and the departure of its talismanic leader Pieter Omtzigt, said the government could continue without Wilders, saying a minority cabinet "is definitely an option". Schoof's statement appeared to put an end to such a course of events. Frans Timmermans, the former European Commission climate chief who now leads the main opposition bloc in parliament, welcomed Wilders' decision. He said he would not support a minority government and called for fresh elections as soon as possible. with Reuters
