What’s next for the Dutch government after the collapse of Schoof I?
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By Simone Jacobs
On Tuesday, June 3, the Dutch coalition government collapsed, just 11 months after being sworn in, when PVV pulled out over asylum policy. Here’s what we know so far about the fall of Schoof I and what it means for Dutch politics in the coming weeks.
Why did the Dutch cabinet collapse?
The right-wing coalition between PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB was rocky from the beginning, taking eight months to form in the first place. There were several incidents of public disagreements between party leaders on social media and a number of near-collapses, the first one just two months after taking office in July 2024, when there were clashes about the 2024 spring budget.
At around 9am on Tuesday, June 3, after threatening to pull out of the coalition several times since December, PVV leader Geert Wilders made good on his promise, collapsing the government after the other coalition parties refused to sign his 10-point asylum plan, which experts consider legally unfeasible. The plan included measures to close the borders to all asylum seekers, return all Syrian nationals living in the Netherlands to Syria, put an end to family reunification and shut asylum centres.
Germany recently adopted a similar policy of turning away asylum seekers at its border after Foreign Minister Alexander Dobridnt (CSU) promised to “significantly reduce the pull factors to Germany”. On Monday, a court in Berlin deemed the move illegal under the EU's "Dublin policy".
Is Dick Schoof still Prime Minister of the Netherlands?
In a letter on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Dick Schoof offered his official resignation and that of all cabinet ministers and state secretaries to King Willem-Alexander. In the wake of the cabinet collapse, King Willem-Alexander returned early from his State visit to the Czech Republic due to “the political situation in the Netherlands”.
As was the case previously when the government has collapsed, Schoof and his fellow cabinet ministers, not including the ones from PVV, will act as part of a demissionary cabinet, or caretaker government, until a new coalition is formed.
What does this mean for the future of Dutch politics?
What does a demissionary Prime Minister and cabinet mean for the future of Dutch politics? Generally, during this period, ministers are only allowed to handle day-to-day issues and are not able to take any action with regard to larger, more controversial policies that are drawn up in a list by the House of Representatives.
However, Schoof said during a press conference that he will continue to work on important themes such as safety, economy, the housing shortage and migration, reports NOS. "They require decisiveness and not postponement," he told the press. September will mark another Prinsjesdag - or budget day - for the government, which the caretaker government will still be responsible for.
With many parties agreeing that asylum policy needs to be addressed soon, it is uncertain whether it will be added to the list of subjects the caretaker government is not allowed to touch. There are also questions about decisions on nitrogen policy, housing and cuts in healthcare.
The toppling of the government occurred at an inconvenient time, as the NATO summit is scheduled to take place in the Netherlands for the first time in just a few weeks.
Will there be another national election?
As the three remaining coalition parties lack a majority and are unable to form another cabinet, a snap election will be held. The Electoral Council has called for the caretaker government to set a date for the new Second Chamber elections, making a recommendation for it to be held on October 29 after the summer recess and school holidays, as municipalities need time to prepare.
Polls by Maurice Hond in April showed that the left-wing opposition party GroenLinks-PvdA had secured four more seats for a total of 29, more than PVV for the first time since the election in 2023. Far-right PVV also lost a projected nine seats from 37, while VVD gained two seats for a total of 26. BBB lost four seats and NSC saw the biggest fall, losing 19 seats. CDA, on the other hand, garnered a lot more support, gaining 14 seats for a total of 19.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more