The Dutch prime minister hands in his resignation as the government collapses over migration

Amidst a governmental collapse over migration issues, Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, submitted his resignation this weekend, thereby commencing the process towards a general election later in the year.

The country’s monarch, King Willem-Alexander, hurried back from his family holiday in Greece to meet Rutte, who travelled to the palace to elucidate the political impasse that led to the disintegration of his government. Post-meeting, Rutte chose not to share details with the press, maintaining that the conversation with the king was confidential.

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The pressing question of managing migration across Europe that has been unsettling several countries for years became the last straw that ended Rutte’s government on Friday. This reveals the stark ideological differences within the four-party coalition and is set to play a critical role in the forthcoming election campaigns.

“The Party for Freedom is capable of securing a majority to significantly curtail the influx of asylum seekers,” declared Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration party, who had previously backed Rutte’s first coalition but ultimately led to its fall.

Left-leaning opposition parties are keen on directing the election towards issues they argue Rutte overlooked – from climate change, a persistent housing crisis, to the future of the country’s extensive agricultural sector.

Lilian Marijnissen, leader of the Socialist Party, expressed to Dutch broadcaster NOS that Rutte’s government collapsing was “beneficial for the Netherlands. The Cabinet seems to have caused more issues than it has solved.”

Despite the four-party government’s internal differences, it will continue as a caretaker administration until a new coalition forms, with no major new laws anticipated.

Amidst the current challenges, “a war on this continent, no one benefits from a political crisis,” Sigrid Kaag, leader of the centrist, pro-Europe D66 party, posted on Twitter.

Rutte, the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands, is known for his consensus-building approach. He seemed prepared to compromise his fourth coalition government by insisting on stringent measures to limit the number of asylum seekers.

After months of negotiation, Rutte devised a set of strategies to cut down the number of new migrants in the Netherlands, a nation of nearly 18 million people. The proposed measures included establishing two asylum categories — a temporary one for conflict refugees and a permanent one for those escaping persecution. It also considered reducing the number of family members who can accompany asylum seekers, a suggestion that was strongly objected to by the minority coalition party, ChristenUnie.

Kaag and Pieter Heerma, the leader of coalition partner the Christian Democrats, criticized Rutte’s approach as creating unnecessary tension and being “almost reckless”.

Rutte’s government falls just as a new populist pro-farmer party, the Farmers Citizens Movement (BBB in Dutch), has been making waves by winning provincial elections, becoming the largest party in the Dutch Senate and posing a significant threat to Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Caroline van der Plas, leader of BBB, stated that her party is all set to reignite their campaign from the provincial elections.

Van der Plas shared on Twitter, showing her party’s supporters hanging flags and banners, “The campaign has begun!”

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More about Dutch Government Collapse

• Mark Rutte’s Resignation
• Migration Crisis in Europe
• Farmers Citizens Movement (BBB)
• Netherlands Political Structure