The Dutch government experienced a significant upheaval on Tuesday as far-right leader Geert Wilders chose to remove his Party for Freedom (PVV) from the ruling coalition, triggered by mounting disagreements regarding immigration policies.
In a post shared on the X social media platform and translated by Finance Newso, Wilders announced his party’s decision, citing the coalition’s insufficient support for their proposed asylum measures.
The PVV achieved a remarkable victory in the 2023 general elections, displacing former Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s party from its longstanding dominance. Despite this win, the coalition of four major political parties appointed Dick Schoof, the former head of the Netherlands’ intelligence agency, as prime minister.
Wilders had indicated over the weekend the possibility of exiting the coalition, stating, “Let me be crystal clear. If the majority of our proposals from the ten-point asylum plan are not adopted by the coalition (and thus added to the Main Lines Agreement) and implemented by the cabinet as soon as possible, then the PVV will withdraw from this coalition,” as reported via a Google translation.
Recently, the PVV introduced a detailed 10-point strategy aimed at curtailing immigration, which advocates for a pause on asylum approvals and a temporary halt on family reunification for refugees already granted asylum status.
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