Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has confirmed the collapse of the Dutch government following the withdrawal of Geert Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) from the coalition.
The decision comes after the other coalition parties declined to adopt PVV’s asylum proposals, which were deemed largely unfeasible. The remaining coalition partners will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed.
At a press conference following a government emergency, Prime Minister Schoof announced that there will be "no restart" of the coalition. “We have concluded that there is insufficient support in the parliament,” Schoof said. He will now present the resignation of all PVV ministers to the King.
The departure of the PVV leaves numerous cabinet posts vacant. It is not yet clear how these positions will be filled.
The remaining coalition partners, center-right VVD which is a traditiontal Dutch party that governed 13 years under now-NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the NSC, an offspring from the Christian Democrats, and the BBB, which represents farmers, may appoint interim ministers to serve in the caretaker government.
The government’s fall is expected to trigger new elections, likely to be held in November, as most opposition parties have indicated they will not support a minority cabinet.
In his remarks, Schoof attributed responsibility for the cabinet’s collapse to the PVV and its leader, Geert Wilders. “If one party lacks the will, it is impossible to continue together,” he said, calling Wilders’ decision “unnecessary and irresponsible.”
Wilders' PVV won the last election in November 2023 with a surprisingly wide margin of 23 percent of the vote. Polls indicate he has lost some support since then, to about 20 percent of the vote, at par with the Labour/Green combination, the second-largest in parliament.
Political preferences in the Netherlands have shifted rapidly in recent years, making it almost impossible to predict the outcome of an election later this year.
Wilders did not emerge as a likely winner of the previous election until a few days before that vote, and other right-wing parties that enjoyed sudden success in recent years have seen their gains disappear as quickly as they came.
(With newswires)