Netherlands: New election after the coalition break – Schoof offers resignation

In the Netherlands, new elections occur after the government breached. This was announced by the independent Prime Minister Dick Schoof after the right -wing populist Geert Wilders had previously burst the government coalition in the dispute over asylum policy. Schoof announced that he would offer the king’s resignation.

However, the government of the non -year -old prime minister, which started almost a year ago, initially remains in office. The hanging section meets the Netherlands just three weeks before an important NATO summit in the Hague, in which the government is host.

The new election will probably only occur in autumn. Until then, the Netherlands threatens in part in political standstill. Schoof said that he would continue to work on pressing important topics with the remaining government parties. However, there should be delays in controversial topics. Because all Wilders party ministers leave the government with immediate effect, the corresponding departments must be redistributed.

Wilders had threatened several times to let the government coalition burst if his demands for a tough course in asylum policy were not met. On Tuesday morning, he then declared the withdrawal of his radical right party for freedom (PVV) from the four-party alliance, in which it was involved as the strongest force. The other coalition partners had previously not agreed to subsequently include a ten-point plan by the PVV with harder asylum rules in the coalition agreement. Instead, they suggested advice on the plans in parliament.

Basically, the government partners in the Netherlands agreed on a strict course in asylum policy. The PVV, the strongest force in parliament since the recent choice, made extensive demands, such as the closure of the limits for all asylum seekers. If necessary, the army had to be used to control the borders, Wilders explained a week ago when the plan was presented. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees should be sent back to their homeland and asylum centers should be closed. In addition, Wilders calls for an end to the family reunification for recognized refugees and the designation of delinquent people with double nationality, whereby the Dutch must then be revoked.

During the election in November 2023, the radical right party for freedom (PVV) of the Islam opponent Wilder had become surprisingly strongest. The PVV also moved into the government for the first time. The coalition also includes the right -wing Liberal VVD, the Center Party NSC and the right -wing populist farmers’ party BBB.

The four-party alliance was unstable right from the start. The Center Party NSC had strong doubts as to whether the government partner PVV would stick to the constitution. Most recently, the coalition parties NSC and VVD had criticized the PVV Minister of Asylum, Marjolein Faber, who accused them of incompetence.