The Hague, Netherlands – The Netherlands’ fledgling coalition government collapsed this week, just eleven months after its formation, following the withdrawal of Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV). The dramatic move, triggered by an impasse over proposed stringent immigration policies, plunges the nation into fresh political uncertainty and is expected to lead to snap elections.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s administration, a four-party alliance that took office on 2 July 2024, foundered on Tuesday, 3 June 2025. The immediate cause of the collapse was Wilders’ decision to pull his party’s ministers from the cabinet, stating that his coalition partners had failed to back his ambitious plans to significantly curb asylum for refugees. Wilders himself took to social media, declaring: “No signature under our asylum plans. The PVV leaves the coalition.”
The Party for Freedom, which emerged as the largest party in the November 2023 general election, had formed a government with the conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB). Despite months of complex negotiations to form this coalition, tensions over immigration policy had simmered beneath the surface, occasionally threatening to derail the fragile pact. Wilders had reportedly issued repeated ultimatums, including a recent ten-point plan to slash migration, which included measures like deploying army officials at land borders and rejecting all asylum seekers. When his coalition partners refused to sign off on these most extreme proposals, the government’s fate was sealed.
Prime Minister Schoof, a technocrat brought in to lead the coalition, expressed his disappointment at the breakdown. Following Wilders’ announcement, Schoof confirmed he would submit the government’s resignation to King Willem-Alexander, acknowledging the critical challenges facing the country both domestically and internationally. He emphasised the need for decisiveness, particularly on issues of security, the economy, and continued support for Ukraine, indicating that many policies would now be put on hold until a new government is formed.
The collapse has sent shockwaves through the Dutch political landscape. Opposition parties were quick to demand fresh elections as soon as possible. Frans Timmermans, who leads the centre-left Labour Party and GreenLeft bloc, stated there was “no other way to form a stable government” than through an immediate return to the polls. While the timing of new elections is subject to a parliamentary process and logistical considerations, they are widely anticipated to occur later this year, likely after the summer recess.
In the interim, Prime Minister Schoof and the ministers from the remaining three coalition parties will continue in a caretaker capacity, with limited powers. This “demissionary” government will primarily handle day-to-day affairs, while controversial or significant policy changes will be put on ice. This period of uncertainty comes at an inconvenient time, with the Netherlands scheduled to host a NATO summit in The Hague later this month. Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp has already moved to reassure allies that the summit will proceed as planned, and that Dutch support for Ukraine remains steadfast.
The rapid fall of the Schoof cabinet, just shy of its first anniversary, underscores the persistent political fragmentation in the Netherlands and the potent, often divisive, nature of immigration policy in European politics. The upcoming elections will now determine the next chapter for a nation grappling with complex domestic challenges and its role on the international stage.
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