The Dutch government has collapsed after Geert Wilders withdrew his far-right party from the governing coalition following a row over migration.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof confirmed he was stepping down on Tuesday and offered the resignation of the cabinet to King Willem-Alexander.
In televised remarks following an emergency cabinet meeting, Schoof said Wilders’ decision to withdraw the support of his PVV party was “irresponsible and unnecessary”.
Following its collapse, Wilders’ former coalition partners accused him of engineering the crisis.
In the Dutch political system, becoming prime minister requires forming a majority coalition in the 150-seat parliament.
After Geert Wilders’ far-right party left the ruling coalition over a dispute over migration, the Dutch government fell apart.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced his resignation and presented King Willem-Alexander with the cabinet’s resignation.
“Irresponsible and unnecessary” is how Schoof described Wilders’ decision to withdraw his PVV party’s support in a televised statement after an emergency cabinet meeting.
“In my opinion, this shouldn’t have occurred,” he continued.
For less than a year, the ruling coalition was in power.
After Wilders pushed for ten more asylum measures, such as freezing applications, stopping the construction of reception centers, and restricting family reunification, the dispute that ultimately caused its collapse broke out.
On Tuesday morning, Schoof had made a last-minute plea to the leaders of the coalition parties, but the meeting ended after just one minute when Wilders left.
No one signed our asylum plans. “PVV departs from the coalition,” Wilders stated on X.
Political leaders were shocked and incensed, with many pointing out that the PVV would not be prevented from implementing the demands of Wilders because they were similar to policies already included in the coalition agreement.
During coalition negotiations, many of Wilders’ other proposals had been rejected due to legal issues.
Following months of political wrangling after the previous year’s elections, an uneasy governing coalition was formed in July 2024, but Wilders’ decision has put an end to it.
The biggest party was his far-right, anti-immigration PVV. Other participants included the centrist New Social Contract, the Farmers’ Citizen Movement (BBB), and the conservative-liberal VVD.
What is the goal of Geert Wilders and who is he?
The coalition initially gave the impression of being a marriage of convenience, marked by internal strife and a perceived inability to implement any of the policies it had so proudly championed.
Former coalition allies of Wilders accused him of orchestrating the crisis after it fell apart. According to VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz, the action was “extremely careless,” and it had nothing to do with asylum. “.
BBB deputy prime minister Mona Keijzer stated, “I believe Wilders is betraying the Netherlands.”.
Wilders, though, seems emboldened. He declared to reporters on Tuesday that he would “make sure that the PVV becomes bigger than ever in the next elections” after taking over as prime minister of the Netherlands.
The cabinet’s collapse seemed to have little immediate economic impact, according to Sandra Phlippen, chief economist at ABN AMRO bank, because the government had “barely made any concrete plans” in its 11 months in office.
With migration and living expenses driving political unrest throughout Europe, polls indicate that the far right and Green-Left parties are tied.
According to Armida van Rij, Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham House, Wilders wanted the government to fall apart as his Freedom Party’s polling numbers continue to decline.
Dutch media reports that Schoof’s ministers will attempt to hold onto power in a caretaker capacity until a date is set for the Netherlands to go back to the polls, most likely in the fall, as the NATO summit is scheduled to take place in the Hague at the end of the month.
Under the Dutch political system, a majority coalition in the 150-seat parliament must be formed in order to become prime minister.
Wilders’ decision to overthrow the government is being viewed as reckless, and views that he is prioritizing personal ambition over national stability may make it more difficult for him to build alliances following the next election, even if he once again exceeds the expectations of political analysts.
That kind of partnership is probably going to become even less appealing to the parties that were hesitant or refused to form a government with Wilders following the last election.
Furthermore, by upending the coalition over the asylum issue, Wilders is probably going to make it the focal point of his next election campaign.
However, there are no assurances that such a risk will be profitable after his party had been in charge of immigration and asylum for nearly a year.
