Wilders withdraws and brings down the Dutch government!
The Dutch right-wing government collapsed just 11 months after the ministers took the constitutional oath and 18 months after the last general elections, following the withdrawal of the far-right PVV party led by Geert Wilders from the ruling coalition.
Wilders announced on Tuesday morning the withdrawal of his party due to the refusal of the other three parties to support him in implementing the "harshest asylum system ever," which he presented at a press conference a week ago, including a 10-point plan to reduce immigration. He said on social media: "No signing of asylum plans, no change in the main government agreement, the PVV party withdraws from the coalition."
Prime Minister Dick Schoof is expected to submit his resignation to the king later today, while new elections will not be held until the fall.
The proposed plan by Wilders included using the army to secure the borders, closing refugee reception centers, and repatriating all Syrian refugees on the grounds that their country is no longer high-risk. On Monday, leaders of other parties demanded to sign his plan and implement some of its provisions within weeks, threatening to withdraw if this did not happen.
A meeting was held on Monday evening and then resumed on Tuesday morning, after which Wilders announced his official withdrawal. Caroline van der Plas, leader of the BBB party, described the move as angry and irresponsible, saying: "He had all the winning cards, yet he withdraws like this." Meanwhile, Nicolien van Vroonhoven, who succeeded Peter Omtzigt in leading the NSC party, described the decision as "incomprehensible."
Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the VVD party, the second largest party in the coalition, said she is very angry and stated that the parties were not different in opinion, commenting: "We had a right-wing majority, and he is abandoning it for his own vanity. He does what he wants and does not want to take responsibility; he has abandoned his voters."
Opposition party leaders welcomed the collapse of the government, with Henry Bontbal from the CDA party describing the ruling coalition as "reckless and irresponsible." He added: "We have witnessed a year of political hobbyism, and the Netherlands has stopped progressing; the four parties PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB were more concerned with themselves than with the country."
Rob Jetten, the leader of the D66 party, said that the past 18 months have been marked by conflicts and crises, and that little progress has been made on major issues, adding: "Other parties have made themselves hostages to Wilders."
In the Netherlands, ministers usually continue to carry out their duties after the government falls, but Wilders announced that all ministers from his party will leave their positions immediately.