Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said his government would offer to resign and continue on in a caretaker role, setting the stage for a likely snap election.
Far-right Geert Wilders pulled his Freedom Party out of the Dutch government earlier Tuesday over the refusal of his three coalition partners to agree to his plans to curb migration. His demands included closing the border to asylum seekers, temporarily halting family reunification and returning asylum seekers to Syria.
While a minority government is unlikely, the remaining coalition parties will first explore whether they can continue together in another form — for example, by bringing in new parties or continuing as a minority cabinet. If those talks fail, there will be a fresh ballot.
“In the past days I let all four caucus leaders know several times that the fall of the government would in my opinion be unnecessary and irresponsible,” Schoof told reporters in The Hague. “Nationally and internationally we are facing big challenges, and more than ever do we need reliability.”
Dutch bonds remained higher along with their European peers. The spread between the Netherlands’ 10-year yield and the equivalent German rate traded at 21 basis points, little changed from Monday.
Migration has become a leading issue for Dutch voters, fueled by one of Europe’s worst housing crises and rising costs of living. In the last election, the Netherlands turned its back on years of liberal immigration policies as Wilders vowed to implement the “strictest asylum policy ever.”
Wilders’ party delivered a shock electoral victory in the 2023 parliamentary vote as far-right parties across Europe rose in popularity, partly on promises to cut migration. The Dutch coalition parties, however, refused to name Wilders prime minister, instead tapping former spy chief Schoof, who didn’t hold a party affiliation.
The right-wing cabinet has been plagued by a number of controversies since it was installed in July, which began with Schoof’s appointment. He was the first non-partisan premier since 1918, breaking with a tradition of the leader of the largest party holding the post.
Even though the Freedom Party’s support had been declining over the past few months, it regained its position as the strongest political force in a poll this week after Wilders announced his new migration plan. An Ipsos poll in early May translated to 29 seats for Wilders’ party, lower than the 37 he has in parliament today.
Bloomberg
