Dutch government collapses as Wilders' far-right party leaves coalition
THE HAGUE — The far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) is leaving the Netherlands' government over its policy for asylum-seekers, its leader Geert Wilders said on Tuesday, toppling the governing coalition.
'I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not for the downfall of the Netherlands,' Wilders told reporters Tuesday morning. 'And our responsibility for this cabinet therefore ends here.'
Wilders' decision to withdraw support for the most right-leaning government in Dutch history has plunged the country's politics into chaos. It leaves the government, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof, with just 51 out of 150 seats in parliament.
Opposition leaders have called for immediate elections. Schoof, who has clashed with Wilders over policy, has not yet commented.
Polls suggest that, were elections to be held today, the PVV would lose seats but remain the largest party, just ahead of the center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.
But that's no guarantee that it would be able to enter a new government. Dutch politics features a constellation of parties, none of which has ever been able to command a majority of Dutch votes. Polls suggest that both center-right and center-left parties would gain from new elections.Wilders' PVV was the clear winner of a November 2023 election. But a coalition accord struck after months of haggling dictated that, while his party would join the government, he would remain on the sidelines, in parliament.Wilders has a long history of anti-Islam and anti-immigrant rhetoric, He was convicted of discrimination after insulting Moroccan immigrants at a 2014 campaign rally, and his party calls for 'no Islamic schools, Qu'ran, and mosques.'Wilders last week held a rare, formal press conference to present the government with an ultimatum for hardening the country's asylum policy – despite the fact that the minister for asylum and migration is a member of his own party.'The PVV promised voters the strictest asylum policy ever, aiming to make it the strictest in all of Europe,' Wilders said Tuesday. 'We proposed a plan to close the borders to asylum seekers, to stop them, to send them away. To stop building asylum-seeker centers, to close them.'But the coalition, he said, refused his proposals.'I could do nothing other than say that we are now withdrawing our support for this cabinet.' — CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
‘Highly undesirable': Dutch host NATO during political crisis
THE HAGUE: For a small country like the Netherlands, organizing a NATO summit is a big endeavour at the best of times. The government collapsing three weeks beforehand has not exactly made life easier. With whole districts and key roads blocked for weeks, and schools and businesses closed, the usually serene seaside city of The Hague has certainly felt the force of the impending summit. To much grumbling, even some cycle lanes have been shut down, usually unthinkable in the land of bikes. Dozens of trees have also been uprooted to make way for the temporary buildings housing the thousands of delegates and journalists attending the summit. For the Netherlands, welcoming 32 world leaders including US President Donald Trump is quite simply the biggest event it has ever hosted in terms of security. The country is deploying some 27,000 police officers, around half its total force. And all of this while Dutch politics is still reeling from far-right leader Geert Wilders's withdrawal from the government in a row over immigration. The sudden departure of Wilders and his far-right Freedom Party brought down a shaky coalition, with fresh elections now slated for October 29. 'It is highly undesirable to host such an important summit when the government has fallen and new elections are expected,' Claes de Vreese, political communications professor at the University of Amsterdam, told AFP. It borders on embarrassing, stormed outgoing foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, describing the withdrawal of Wilders three weeks before the summit as 'scandalous.' Fortunately, noted De Vreese, the Dutch parliament gave its green light to the defense spending increases at the center of the summit. 'This gives weight and legitimacy to the participation' of outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof at the summit, said the expert. But as the government is a lame-duck administration, the next government will have to find the cash. Speaking of cash, the estimated cost of the NATO summit is 183.4 million euros ($211 million), or just over one million euros per minute, according to Dutch daily AD. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has chopped back the leaders' meeting to just two-and-a-half hours on Wednesday morning, reportedly to appease Trump, not known to love lengthy summits. At least Rutte himself will feel at home. The NATO boss is a born-and-bred 'Hagenaar' (citizen of the Hague), still has a house in the city and is often seen at weekends on his bike or shopping at his local supermarket despite his move to Brussels. And despite the government collapse complicating matters, it is really NATO taking on the bulk of the organization. 'We're not hosting the summit, that's the secretary general,' said Schoof. 'But the host country does play an important role. The whole world will be looking at the Netherlands,' Schoof told reporters. Much of the attention will naturally be on Trump — although there is a question mark over his appearance given the US strikes on Iran. It falls to Noordwijk, a peaceful coastal resort between Schiphol Airport and The Hague, to host the US president, who will stay in a sumptuous hotel overlooking the North Sea — if he turns up. His route in has been completely blocked off since Sunday — like several others in the city. Some frustrated citizens of The Hague have asked why the summit couldn't be held in Veluwe, a national park with no one around — or even at the airport. At an anti-NATO protest the weekend before the summit, Alfons Vryland, a 54-year-old teacher, noted the irony of holding a military alliance meeting in the self-styled City of Peace and Justice. 'I'm embarrassed that they're here talking about war instead of peace in my country, in this city,' Vryland told AFP. Jan van Zanen, the city's amiable mayor, sought to reassure everyone, from the crisis-hit PM to the average Hagenaar. 'I know people think that I'm a magician as mayor of The Hague, but I couldn't prevent the government collapsing,' he told AFP. 'The impact (of the government falling) is there, but where we can, we've limited it to the utmost,' he said. 'Yes, the Netherlands is ready.'
Leaders
3 days ago
- Leaders
Iraqi Cities Protest against Israel's War on Iran
Baghdad and other Iraqi cities witnessed wide protests on Friday from Moqtada Sadr's supporters against Israel's war against Iran, according to Arab News. Iraqi Protests Iraqi demonstrators gathered in the Sadr City district of Baghdad after Friday prayers and chanted 'No to Israel! No to America!' 'It is an unjust war… Israel has no right' to hit Iran, said protester Abu Hussein. Iraqi Cities Protest against Israel's War on Iran Meanwhile, approximately 2,000 people rallied in Iraq's southern city of Basra after the prayers. Cleric Qusai Assadi, 43, condemned Israel's use of Iraqi airspace to bomb Iran. 'It is a violation of Iraq's sovereignty,' he said, warning against 'a third world war against Islam.' Call for Not Targeting US Troops Baghdad asked Iran earlier this week to avoid targeting US interests in Iraq amid mounting tensions between Israel and Tehran, according to Al-Arabiya. Despite the fact that Baghdad is a close ally of Tehran, Iraq is also a strategic partner of the US and even has approximately 2,500 US troops on its soil as part of an anti-extremist coalition. Israel-Iran Conflict On June 13, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran under the name of Operation Rising Lion. The military campaign targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. As a response, Iran launched a retaliatory wave of missiles against Israel and targeted Tel Aviv. US Denies Involvement US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States was not involved in Israel's unilateral strikes on Iran, according to The New York Times. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,' Rubio said. He also warned Iran not to respond to Israeli strikes by targeting American bases in the region. Importantly, the US military maintains a large fleet of warplanes, naval vessels as well as thousands of troops stationed at its bases in the region, including in Qatar and Bahrain. 'Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,' Rubio added. Related Topics: US Military Aircrafts Vanish from Qatar Base Amid Iran Tensions China Condemns Israel's 'War of Aggression' against Iran 'Nobody Knows': Trump on US Striking Iran Short link : Post Views: 8
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
4 exhibitions at the Prophet's Mosque courtyards that bring Islamic heritage to life
Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — Several exhibitions and knowledge centers within the courtyards and halls of the Prophet's Mosque are offering enriching cultural and educational experiences to pilgrims and visitors during the Hajj season, showcasing the depth of Islamic heritage and the warm hospitality of Madinah. Among the key attractions is the Exhibition on the Architecture of the Prophet's Mosque, located in the southern square opposite exits 308 and 309. Open daily from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the exhibition highlights the architectural evolution of the mosque through interactive displays and modern presentation techniques. Nearby, the International Exhibition of the Prophet's Biography, situated in front of exits 306 and 307, operates from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The exhibition offers visitors a contemporary, immersive experience into the life and character of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), presenting his values and message through multimedia Facility 204 in the southern square, the Rare Manuscripts Exhibition welcomes guests from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 features a remarkable collection of historical manuscripts, documents, and inscriptions that chronicle the development of Islamic calligraphy and literature across the Prophet's Mosque Library, located near Gate 10 on the western side, provides around-the-clock services to comprises several specialized sections, including rare books, manuscripts, an audio library, and various technical Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, situated inside the mosque near the Uthman Gate, is a key destination for scholars and houses more than 4,000 original manuscripts, around 60,000 digital manuscripts, 4,600 imaged manuscripts, as well as 250 handwritten Qur'ans and 200 printed Qur' section operates in two shifts: from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
