The Dutch government, which was formed 11 months ago, is facing collapse, after right-wing leader Geert Wilders, one of the biggest supporters of Israel, announced today (Tuesday) that he is withdrawing from the coalition - following a lack of agreement on the plan to deal with the immigration crisis.
""No signature on our asylum plans, no changes to the original agreement of principles, the PVV party is leaving the coalition," Wilders wrote on the X network.
Last week, Wilders demanded that the government sign a 10-point plan aimed at drastically reducing immigration, including using the army to guard land borders, rejecting all asylum seekers, including freezing family reunification for asylum seekers, returning Syrians to their country of origin on the grounds that parts of Syria are now safe, and deporting migrants convicted of violent crimes. Some of the measures sought to force the Netherlands to withdraw from European treaties and agreements and were in conflict with EU law.
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Wilders said that if immigration policy is not tightened, his party will "leave the cabinet.".
As a result, the government led by Dick Skoff is expected to fall apart after only a short term, preceded by long months of coalition negotiations and difficulty in reaching agreements.
Wilders' PVV ("Freedom") party is the largest in the Dutch parliament, and together with three other parties, it makes up the Dutch right-wing government.
Throughout the government's 11 months in office in the Netherlands, Wilders attacked it for its handling and conduct of the entire immigration issue.
Wilders made history in the Dutch parliamentary elections in November 2023, when he obtained 241% of the vote.
The government crisis in the Netherlands comes just three weeks before The Hague is scheduled to host a summit of NATO leaders.
