Dutch Coalition Government Collapses After Far-Right Leader Exits

The Dutch ruling alliance has come undone after Geert Wilders, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party, abruptly pulled his party out of the government.

This dramatic exit, triggered by disagreements over immigration policy, is expected to lead to early national elections.

A final effort to salvage the coalition took place Tuesday morning when Prime Minister Dick Schoof attempted to negotiate with coalition partners. However, the meeting collapsed in under a minute when Wilders left the room, effectively ending the government.

Wilders had demanded ten new asylum-related restrictions, such as suspending asylum intake, ceasing the development of refugee shelters, and restricting the reunification of migrant families.

“No signature for our asylum plans. PVV leaves the coalition,” said Wilders on X, referring to his Freedom Party.

The announcement stunned the political sphere. Many leaders expressed disbelief, pointing out that several of Wilders’ asylum policies were already agreed upon in the coalition pact, and his party had the means to pursue them without further conflict.

A number of the extra measures Wilders proposed had previously been excluded during coalition negotiations, with legal implications cited as the primary concern.

With this move, Wilders has dismantled a fragile government that was only formed in July 2024, following extended talks that emerged from the election the year prior.

Although Wilders’ PVV held the most seats, it governed in partnership with three others still officially part of the coalition: the VVD (a right-leaning liberal party), the BBB (Farmers’ Citizen Movement), and the centrist NSC (New Social Contract).

Critics from within the alliance say Wilders orchestrated the collapse. VVD’s Dilan Yesilgoz described the withdrawal as “super irresponsible,” and added: “This wasn’t about asylum at all.”

“I think Wilders is betraying the Netherlands,” said deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer from the BBB.

Opposition figures, meanwhile, celebrated the fall of the government. The Socialist Party’s Jimmy Dijk said the country had been “liberated from a political hostage situation”, and labeled the coalition “four right-wing quarrelsome parties that achieve nothing”.

Economists weighed in on the situation, noting that the outgoing government had “barely made any concrete plans” during its tenure, suggesting the economic repercussions of its collapse would be limited.

There was also strong criticism of how the government was handled, with one outlet describing it as a cabinet “that was supposed to stand up for the citizens [but] was destroyed by amateurism and incompetence.”

Analysts believe Wilders may have welcomed the collapse, as his party’s popularity has been slipping in recent polls. His decision to trigger the crisis over asylum matters likely signals a strategy to center his next campaign around immigration.

Still, since the PVV has managed asylum policy over the past year, it remains uncertain whether voters will rally behind his latest tactic.

Government ministers are expected to hold urgent discussions this afternoon, after which Prime Minister Schoof will likely submit the cabinet’s resignation to King Willem-Alexander before the day ends.

Speculation suggests new elections might be scheduled for the fall.

Alternatively, Schoof could remain in charge of a minority administration, but that would require complex cooperation between center-right factions and progressive parties to advance any legislation—a scenario many believe improbable. Frans Timmermans of the Labour-Green alliance has already pushed for a new election.

With a NATO summit set to take place in The Hague later this month, the current ministers are expected to continue temporarily in a caretaker role until the country heads back to the ballot box.