The Dutch government has collapsed following internal clashes within the ruling coalition over immigration policies, leading to the withdrawal of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders.
In a post on platform X, Wilders announced that his party would leave the coalition due to a lack of support for its proposals on asylum policy. Although the PVV won the 2023 parliamentary elections displacing the party of former Prime Minister Mark Rutte from the top spot four major Dutch parties ultimately selected Dick Schoof, former intelligence service chief, as Prime Minister.
For several days, Wilders had warned that his party would withdraw unless its proposals to restrict immigration were included in the government agreement. These proposals were part of a ten-point plan, which included a temporary halt to asylum applications and family reunification for recognized refugees.
The deep disagreements over this plan led to the breakdown of the coalition agreement and the fall of the government.
