The Dutch government is resigning amid the withdrawal of the far-right party from the ruling coalition - Bloomberg

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has announced that his government will resign, but he will continue to serve as interim prime minister. This will create the conditions for potential early elections in the country, UNN writes referring to Bloomberg.

Will the government resign?

On Tuesday, far-right politician Geert Wilders withdrew his Freedom Party from the Dutch government due to the refusal of his three coalition partners to agree to his plans to curb migration. His demands included closing the border to migrants, temporarily suspending family reunification and returning refugees to Syria.

Although a minority government is unlikely, the remaining coalition parties will initially explore whether they can continue to work together in another form. For example, they may involve new parties in the coalition or continue to work as a minority cabinet. If both options fail, a new vote will be held.

In recent days, I have made it clear to all four faction leaders several times that the fall of the government, in my opinion, would be unnecessary and irresponsible. At the national and international levels, we face great challenges, and now more than ever we need reliability.

Netherlands amid political crisis

Dutch bonds remain higher, as do their European counterparts. The spread between the yield on 10-year Dutch bonds and the equivalent German rate was 21 basis points, little changed from Monday.

Migration has become a major issue for Dutch voters, fueled by one of the worst housing crises in Europe and rising cost of living. In the last election, the Netherlands abandoned its long-standing liberal immigration policy, as Wilders vowed to introduce the "strictest asylum policy in history".

The last F-16s for Ukraine have left the Netherlands26.05.25, 19:59 • 3159 views

Wilders' party scored a shock victory in the 2023 parliamentary elections as the popularity of far-right parties across Europe rose, partly thanks to promises to cut migration. However, Dutch coalition parties refused to appoint Wilders as prime minister, instead favoring former intelligence chief Schoof, who had no party affiliation.

The right-wing cabinet has suffered a series of disputes since the beginning of its government in July, which began with the appointment of Schoof. He became the first non-partisan prime minister since 1918, breaking the tradition of the leader of the largest party holding the post.

Although support for the Freedom Party has declined over the past few months, it has regained its position as the strongest political force in a poll this week after Wilders announced his new migration plan. An Ipsos poll conducted in early May showed Wilders' party gaining 29 seats, down from the 37 he holds in parliament today.

Additions

The Netherlands plans to introduce strict anti-immigration measures, including restrictions on family reunification and increased deportation. The new rules are aimed at reducing the influx of migrants and addressing housing and social service issues.

Within the framework of the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with the leader of the Freedom Party, member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, Geert Wilders. Zelensky thanked the Netherlands and the entire Dutch people for their comprehensive support of Ukraine: defense, financial and humanitarian.