Dutch Government Collapses After Wilders Walks Out Over Asylum Dispute
Hardline Demands on Asylum Lead to Political Crisis Just Months After Government Was Formed.
The Netherlands has been thrown into political uncertainty after Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), pulled his support from the ruling coalition. This effectively collapses the Dutch government just months after it was formed.
The abrupt move follows a bitter standoff over immigration policy and comes at a precarious time—weeks before the country is due to host a high-profile NATO summit.
Wilders, a long-time hardliner on immigration, had demanded sweeping changes to the country’s asylum system, proposing a two-tier structure that would treat war refugees differently from those fleeing persecution. His coalition partners, who range from center-right liberals to agrarian populists, refused to back the proposal, causing negotiations to unravel.
“Despite our best efforts, we could not close the gap,” Wilders posted on social media Tuesday morning, announcing the PVV’s departure from the alliance that took power in December.
The fallout leaves Prime Minister Dick Schoof—a political independent and former top civil servant—without a working majority. Schoof, who had been chosen as a consensus figure by the coalition’s diverse lineup, offered his resignation to King Willem-Alexander later the same day.
The monarch accepted it, setting the stage for the government to transition into caretaker mode until elections can be organized.
The failed coalition was made up of four ideologically divergent parties: Wilders’ nationalist PVV, the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the agrarian Farmer-Citizens Movement (BBB), and the centrist New Social Contract (NSC).
Their alliance had always been shaky, stitched together more by electoral math than by policy alignment.
The tipping point came during emergency talks early Tuesday, when Wilders insisted the government adopt his ten-point immigration plan immediately. Among the measures were proposals to close Dutch borders to asylum-seekers, fast-track deportations, and deploy military units to border areas.
When the other parties balked at what they viewed as legally and morally extreme demands, Wilders walked. By mid-afternoon, the government was effectively history.
The timing couldn’t be worse. In July, the Netherlands is set to host the annual NATO summit in The Hague, a significant diplomatic event drawing global leaders.
While the caretaker government will handle the logistics, it lacks the authority to make substantive foreign policy decisions. Questions are now mounting over whether the Netherlands can effectively represent itself on the world stage amid domestic disarray.
This latest collapse is only the most recent chapter in a broader saga of political turbulence. The PVV surged to first place in the November 2023 elections, driven by public frustration over migration and housing shortages. But with no clear path to a majority, Wilders was forced to cobble together a coalition with parties that shared little in terms of ideology.
According to recent polling, the PVV’s popularity has slipped slightly since the government’s formation, though it remains the largest single party.
The BBB and NSC, both newcomers to the political mainstream, have seen sharper declines. Meanwhile, support is rising for the VVD and the center-left alliance led by Frans Timmermans.
With new elections expected by fall, Dutch politics is once again bracing for a campaign season. But with trust in coalition-building at a low and divisions over immigration deeper than ever, there’s no guarantee the next government will be any more stable.
For now, the Netherlands faces a leadership vacuum, a fragile political climate, and the challenge of balancing urgent domestic issues with international responsibilities—all while preparing for yet another trip to the polls.
