After only one and a half years in office, the coalition government of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte collapsed on Friday due to disagreements over policies to stop the flow of migrants.
The crisis discussions between the four coalition partners were presided over by Rutte, the longest-serving president of the Netherlands, but no agreement was reached.
For a few hours on Friday night, the resignation was widely rumored in the Netherlands before Rutte issued a statement confirming it.
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“This evening we have unfortunately reached the conclusion that the differences are insurmountable. For this reason, I will shortly present my written resignation to the king in the name of the whole government,” Rutte told a press conference.
New elections, much earlier than the subsequent 2025 date, appear to be the most likely result. According to local media, new elections will most likely be held in November.
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The opposition parties moved quickly to call for an election. On Twitter, Geert Wilders, the head of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV), urged “Quick elections now.” Jesse Klaver, leader of the Green Left party also called for elections and told Dutch broadcaster NOS: “This country needs a change of direction.”
Another option is for the king to invite a different political figure to try to form a coalition, but given the parliamentary math, that appears extremely unlikely. In the Netherlands, the vote took place toward the end of 2021. After then, it took about nine months to form a coalition that worked.
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Despite being the largest party, Rutte’s VVD received fewer than 22% of the vote. Only two other parties received more than 10% of the vote, although no fewer than 17 groups took home at least one House of Representatives member. Practically, it’s unclear what alternatives to the current partnership there are.
In the event of new elections, Rutte would like his party to come out on top after a fifth consecutive vote and try to create a new coalition, potentially with a different makeup in parliament. He accomplished this in 2021 after his administration quit due to a scandal involving child care, and a few months later he performed best in the elections.