Geert Wilders, the leader of the prominent far-right Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, declared on Tuesday that he would remove his ministers from the current governing coalition, citing unresolved issues related to migration policies. This critical decision is anticipated to plunge the coalition into a serious political crisis and may lead to new elections in the near future.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Wilders expressed his dissatisfaction with the coalition partners' refusal to endorse his new set of proposals aimed at tightening immigration controls. “No signature for our migration plans,” he stated, emphasizing his frustration with the lack of support for his party's hardline stance on the issue.
Having gained the largest number of seats in the November 2023 elections, the Party for Freedom's radical policies, including calls for banning the Quran and halting the acceptance of asylum seekers, have undeniably shifted the dynamics of Dutch politics. Wilders' ability to forge a governing coalition with three other right-wing parties—the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (a center-right party), the Farmer Citizen Movement (a pro-farmer populist party), and the New Social Contract (a centrist party)—was a notable achievement achieved after lengthy negotiations lasting seven months.
Currently, the four-party coalition commands a total of 88 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, a fragile alliance now threatened by internal dissent.
