The coalition government of the Netherlands collapsed on Tuesday, less than a year after it was formed, over a disagreement that many ordinary citizens saw coming from a mile away: asylum policy.
Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) and the man who arguably carried the conservative coalition to victory last year, pulled the plug after his partners balked at enforcing the immigration policies they had promised the Dutch people. And Wilders wasn’t quiet about why he walked away.
“I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not for the downfall of the Netherlands,” Wilders told reporters, laying the blame directly on the refusal of his coalition partners to follow through on key migration restrictions. “Our responsibility for this cabinet, therefore, ends here.”
Promises Made, Not Kept
Back in May 2024, the PVV-led coalition made bold promises: implement “the strictest asylum admission policy and the most comprehensive migration control package ever.” The goal? To put the brakes on the runaway train of open-border policies that have flooded Europe with unchecked migration over the past decade. The Dutch people rewarded that promise by giving Wilders’ PVV the most seats in the November 2023 election.
But getting into office and actually governing are two different things, especially when coalition politics water down the will of the voters. Despite the PVV’s electoral mandate, it still needed to rely on three other parties—The People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the Farmer Citizen Movement (BBB), and the New Social Contract (NSC)—to form a majority coalition with 88 of the 150 seats.
To avoid bruised egos or turf wars, they picked a compromise figure, Dick Schoof, a former intelligence chief with no party affiliation, to serve as prime minister. That’s how bad they wanted to avoid making Wilders PM. But when push came to shove, Schoof and the rest of the coalition partners couldn’t stomach Wilders’ actual immigration reforms.
Closing the Borders—or the Curtains?
The PVV wanted to do what any common-sense nation should consider: halt asylum requests, stop family reunification for refugees, shut down asylum centers, and send temporary-status Syrians back home. Radical? Not really, unless you’re part of the Brussels echo chamber that thinks borders are optional.
But Wilders’ coalition partners blinked. Instead of moving forward on the promised reforms, they stalled. So Wilders did what so few politicians have the spine to do—he walked.
“No signature for our asylum plans. PVV leaves the coalition,” Wilders posted on social media. He later told the BBC he expects to come back even stronger in the next election, which is expected to take place in October.
Outrage from the Left, Applause from the Right
Prime Minister Schoof, who now becomes a lame duck caretaker until elections are held, slammed Wilders for walking away. “I think it’s unnecessary and irresponsible,” he said. Of course, for those keeping score, refusing to enforce border security after promising it sounds a lot more “irresponsible” than standing up for your voters.
And Wilders’ base? They’re not exactly in mourning. His supporters see this as a principled stand—proof that Wilders is one of the few politicians in Europe who actually means what he says.
The Road Ahead
With the Netherlands now headed back to the polls, the big question is whether the PVV will come back stronger. Given how Wilders honored his promises and walked away rather than compromise on border control, it’s likely that Dutch voters will reward that backbone.
In an era when politicians are allergic to accountability, Geert Wilders may have just reminded Europe what it looks like when someone actually keeps their word.
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