The resignation of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands in complete disagreement with the policy of accepting refugees

“Tonight we, unfortunately, came to the conclusion that the differences are insurmountable. For this reason, I will soon submit my resignation to the king on behalf of the entire government,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at a press conference on Friday.

Mark Rutte, one of the oldest heads of government in the European Union and the longest-serving post in the history of the Netherlands since 2010, although he had already been forced to resign for the first time in 2021, announced talks on an emergency refugee policy between four coalitions. the parties were unable to reach an agreement. The prime minister’s plan was to tighten restrictions on family reunification for asylum seekers to reduce the number of asylum seekers after a scandal over his management of overcrowded refugee reception centres.

“It’s no secret that coalition partners have very different views on migration policy,” said Mark Rutte of the right-wing liberal VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy). Under this project, refugees already settled in the Netherlands will no longer be allowed to have their children join them if the monthly quota of 200 children has already been reached. Two of the coalition’s four parties that are more flexible on immigration, the small Protestant party ChristenUnie and the liberal-centrist D66 opposed the project. “The family and the fact that children grow up with their parents is a fundamental value for us,” said Carola Schouten, Minister for Combating Poverty and member of ChristenUnie, adding that it was “a very difficult moment.” For her part, Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag of D66 said there was “unnecessary tension” in the talks and that the collapse of the government was “regrettable”.

Under these conditions, the prime minister submitted his resignation to the king late in the evening. This Saturday, he is due to travel to the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, where the royal family lives, to discuss the fall of his government.

Tense political situation

Under these conditions, early legislative elections will be held no earlier than mid-November, the election commission said after her resignation. However, according to observers, this election campaign is likely to be one of the most tumultuous in several years. Several themes will highlight important sections. Mark Rutte announced that he still has the “energy” to stand at the top of his party’s ticket in legislative elections to seek a fifth term, but he needs to “think about it” first.

The political landscape in the country is changing. For several years, while a new pro-farming movement, the Citizen Farmers’ Movement (BoerBurgerBeweging or BBB), which opposes European Union environmental regulations, won the most seats in the March regional elections that also determine the composition of the Senate. Its leader, Carolina van der Plas, has said she is withdrawing from her party’s participation in a coalition in which Mark Rutte could play a role and does not rule out running for prime minister.