- The ruling coalition in the Netherlands collapsed after a row over immigration policy.
- Prime Minister Mark Rutte has submitted his government’s resignation.
- The official confirmation came on Friday evening.
The agency reported that the leaders of the four ruling parties could not agree on steps to curb the flow of refugees. A sticking point at the crisis meeting was the restrictions on family reunification of refugees already in the Netherlands demanded by the right-wing liberal Rutte party VVD.
These demands went too far for the other parties. Apparently, the initiative to dismiss the government came from the Christian Conservative Union. As a result, Rutte offered King Willem-Alexander in writing on Friday evening to resign from his government. The Prime Minister regrets this step, but it is the political truth. The right-wing liberal leaves open whether Mark Rutte will run again in the new election.
The number of asylum applications in the Netherlands rose by a third to more than 46,000 last year and is expected to rise to more than 70,000 this year – a new high since 2015.
Fourth government under Rota
Marc Rutte, 56, has been prime minister of the Netherlands for nearly 13 years, making him one of the longest-serving heads of government in the European Union. Since January 2022, he has led his fourth government after coalition negotiations that lasted a good nine months, making it the longest in the country’s history.
A total of four parties are needed to achieve a majority in the House of Representatives; These were the right-liberal Rott VVD, the left-liberal D66, the Christian Democratic CDA and the Christian Small Union.
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