Dutch PM Dick Schoof resigns as far‑right PVV exits coalition
On Tuesday afternoon, the Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, resigned. A few hours earlier, the ruling coalition's largest party, the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, had left the coalition.
What do you need to know?
- The Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, resigned following the departure of Geert Wilders' Freedom Party from the ruling coalition.
- Schoof expressed regret over Geert Wilders' decision, which he deemed unnecessary.
- Schoof's government will operate as a caretaker government until a new cabinet is appointed.
After announcing his resignation, Prime Minister Schoof stated that his cabinet would serve as a caretaker government, implying that until a new government is installed, the current cabinet will continue its duties.
Earlier, the NOS portal reported that the Prime Minister would submit his resignation to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands later that day.
Why did the Freedom Party leave the coalition?
The leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), Geert Wilders, had warned that his party would withdraw from the government if migration policy regulations were not tightened. "No signature under our asylum plans. The PVV leaves the coalition," Wilders wrote on platform X.
Among the 16 ministers, five were from the PVV.
Wilders' decision was met with varied reactions among coalition partners. Politicians from the pro-European Volt party expressed satisfaction with the PVV's departure, while the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Dilan Yesilgoz, expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with Wilders' decision.
Boom noted that Wilders wants the upcoming election campaign to focus on asylum law issues. "He is banking on that because it's uncertain how it will end," the journalist pointed out.
In the Netherlands, due to the multi-party parliament, early elections are relatively common. The current NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, who previously served as the Dutch Prime Minister, has instigated early elections multiple times, most recently in 2021.
Wilders, whose party won the 2023 elections and has the most MPs in parliament, threatened on 26 May to bring down the government "at the latest within a few weeks" if his demands to restrict the influx of immigrants were not met. The PVV has 37 deputies in the 150-member Dutch parliament. Despite a decline in support, the PVV remains one of the three most popular parliamentary forces, alongside the Green-Left alliance, the Labour Party, and the liberals from the VVD.
