Wilders announced the withdrawal of his right-wing party, the Party for Freedom (PVV), from the 11-month-old right-wing Netherlands coalition government.
The PVV leaves the coalition,” Wilders wrote in an X post on Tuesday after a brief meeting in parliament with party leaders.
“I have told party leaders repeatedly in recent days that the collapse of the cabinet would be unnecessary and irresponsible,” Schoof said in the emergency cabinet meeting.
“We are facing major challenges both nationally and internationally that require decisiveness from us.” How did other Dutch leaders react?
According to the Dutch election authority’s data, no single party has ever won a majority since the first direct elections in 1848.
A disagreement over anti-immigration policies his party had proposed caused far-right politician Geert Wilders to leave the right-wing coalition, which led to the collapse of the Dutch government on Tuesday.
The Dutch cabinet and Prime Minister Dick Schoof resigned as a result of Wilders’ decision.
What led to the government’s downfall and what transpired next are described below.
What caused Wilders to pull out?
Wilders declared that his right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) would no longer be a part of the right-wing coalition government in the Netherlands, which has been in power for 11 months. According to Wilders, his plans to crack down on refugee asylum had not received support from the other three coalition parties.
“Under our plans for asylum, no signature. Following a quick meeting with party leaders in parliament on Tuesday, Wilders wrote in an X post, “The PVV leaves the coalition.”. The coalition included PVV as well as the New Social Contract (NSC), the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), and the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
On May 26, Wilders unveiled a 10-point plan to drastically reduce migration, including the rejection of all asylum seekers and the stationing of army officials at the Dutch land borders. At the time, Wilders threatened to dissolve the coalition if his party did not toughen its stance on migration.
In the nation’s 150-seat House of Representatives, the four parties together controlled 88 seats.
With 23% of the vote and 37 seats, the PVV won the most seats in the parliament of any party in the most recent election held in November 2023.
The House has 76 seats, which is the majority mark. The coalition now has just 51 seats after the withdrawal.
Schoof stepped down when?
An emergency cabinet meeting was called following Wilders’ announcement of the withdrawal. A few hours after the PVV withdrawal, Schoof declared his resignation.
“I have repeatedly told party leaders in recent days that it would be needless and irresponsible for the cabinet to collapse,” Schoof stated during the emergency cabinet meeting. “We must exercise decisiveness in the face of significant national and international challenges. “.”.
What were the responses of other Dutch leaders?
Wilders was referred to as “irresponsible” by other coalition leaders, who accused him of prioritizing his personal political interests over the nation.
On our continent, there is a war. The VVD, which has 24 seats in the House, is led by Dilan Yesilgoz, who said that rather than accepting the challenge, Wilders is demonstrating his unwillingness to accept responsibility.
NSC leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven criticized Wilders, saying, “It is reckless to overthrow the government at this time.”. 20 seats make up the NSC.
Early elections, according to Frans Timmermans, head of the opposition GreenLeft-Labour alliance, are the only way he can “see to form a stable government.”.
Next up?
The Dutch King Willem-Alexander will now receive Schoof’s official resignation. Elections are anticipated to be held following this. Based on past cycles, the election is probably going to take place in October or November.
According to polls conducted as of May 31, Wilders’ PVV has slightly decreased in support, going from 23% in the 2023 election to 20% now.
The GreenLeft-Labour alliance, which has 25 seats in the lower house of parliament—the second-highest number after the PVV—and 19 percent of the vote, is now nearly on par with the party.
Because of the Netherlands’ disjointed political system, it is hard to forecast which party will win the election. The 76-seat majority is unlikely to be won by a single party, and coalition formation takes months. No single party has ever taken a majority since the first direct elections in 1848, according to data from the Dutch election authority.
Up until elections, what happens?
Schoof has stated that he and the other coalition ministers will remain in their roles in a caretaker government until elections are held and a new government is formed.
As the Netherlands prepares to host a NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague on June 24–25, the political crisis occurs. From 2010 until 2024, Mark Rutte, the current secretary-general of NATO, served as prime minister of the Netherlands. Rutte had ties to the VVD.
