The thin thread on which the Government of the Netherlands has been hanging for months was finally broken yesterday as a result of internal differences on migration policy.
The Prime Minister, Liberal Mark Rutte, last night submitted the resignation of his Government team to King William and announced the calling of early elections, probably in November, after his party’s failed attempt to impose new limits on family reunification policies for war refugees to try to ease pressure on the host system. “We tried, but we had to realize that our differences were irreconcilable,” Rutte admitted at a press conference last night. “It is disappointing, but at the same time an undeniable political reality.” His Government, however, had been touched by death since March, when the Moviment Camperol Ciudadà (BBB), which has channeled the discontent of the countryside with the environmental policy of The Hague and Brussels, became the big winner of the provincial elections.
Although announced, the collapse of the Government has been precipitated in three days, which is the duration of the last debates on immigration policy. While the conservatives (CDA) accepted the measure proposed by the liberals (VLD), the most progressive members of the Government (D-66) opposed it, as did the family-oriented Protestant Christian Union party.
The fall of the Government could mean the departure from the front line of politics for Rutte, known as the Teflon leader for his ability to emerge unscathed from all crises, who this time could have competition within his own party if is presented as a candidate. This was the fourth coalition he led as prime minister since 2010 and has been the most unfortunate of all. The elections were held in March 2021 and the parties took nine months to conclude a Government agreement. Attempts to comply, after several extensions, with European standards on nitrogen emissions by closing farms resulted in strong opposition in the countryside and exacerbated political polarization, as for left-wing parties the measures cannot postpone more
Apart from the environment, immigration immediately emerged as one of the most divisive issues. After the pandemic, requests for entry have exceeded the availability of reception places. Hundreds of asylum seekers had to sleep in the open for lack of means, which led the Government to study different options to reduce migratory pressure on the country (18 million inhabitants).
Last year the Netherlands registered 46,000 asylum requests, 30% more than the previous year. The forecast for this year is to reach 70,000, the same record figure as in 2015. The pressure to agree a solution before the summer was increasing day by day. On Monday, unexpectedly, Rutte gave his partners until Friday to reach an agreement. The idea of ??creating a system with two categories of asylum seekers, accompanied by a quota of 200 people per month who could request family reunification (children, mostly), was not convincing, but yesterday afternoon it still seemed that it would be possible to reach to an agreement and save the coalition.
“Everyone wants to find a good and effective solution that takes into account that it’s about human lives”, commented the Minister of Finance, Sigrid Kaag (D66), in the middle of the afternoon. It did not suit any of the Government parties to go to the polls now, but the differences were insurmountable and, at eight in the evening, the talks collapsed. “We were all created and loved by the same God, who gave us the earth we live on. That is why we believe that we must provide a safe place for the victims of disasters, wars, persecution and oppression”, the Christian Union wrote on its website.
Rutte called an extraordinary Council of Ministers last night and informed the king of his decisions. Although it was not scheduled to return to the polls until 2025, opposition parties are demanding early elections be called as soon as possible. According to the calendars of the Electoral Council, it will not be possible to celebrate them until the fall, probably until mid-November.
