The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, made a visit to the king on Saturday to submit the resignation of his four-party coalition, paving the way for a general election later this year. King Willem-Alexander returned from a family vacation in Greece specifically for this meeting. The main issue that led to the downfall of Rutte’s government was the contentious topic of migration, which has caused division across Europe for a considerable time. This incident has exposed the deep ideological differences among the four parties that comprised the coalition, and it is expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming election campaign.
“We are the party that can ensure a majority to significantly restrict the flow of asylum seekers,” stated Geert Wilders, the leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom. Wilders previously supported Rutte’s initial minority coalition over a decade ago, but ultimately led to its downfall as well. Opposition parties on the left are also keen on addressing other issues, such as climate change, the housing shortage, and the future of the agricultural sector, which they feel Rutte failed to adequately tackle.
Lilian Marijnissen, leader of the Socialist Party, sees the collapse of Rutte’s government as “good news for the Netherlands,” arguing that the Cabinet had generated more problems than solutions. While the four-party coalition remains in power as a caretaker administration until a new coalition is formed, it will have limited authority to enact major new laws.
Despite being known for his ability to build consensus, Rutte seemed willing to risk the downfall of his fourth coalition government by presenting tough demands in negotiations on reducing the number of asylum-seeking migrants. His proposed measures included the creation of two classes of asylum, temporary and permanent, as well as limitations on family members joining asylum-seekers. However, the idea of blocking family members faced strong opposition from the Christian Union, a minority coalition party.
The collapse of the government comes after the surprising success of the populist pro-farmer party, BBB, in recent provincial elections. This party, already the largest bloc in the Dutch Senate, poses a significant threat to Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy. The leader of BBB, Caroline van der Plas, has already announced their intent to begin campaigning again.
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