Following the fall of the government, precipitated by the departure of the extreme right of the ruling coalition, the Netherlands will organize early elections on October 29. “In the coming months, I will work with municipalities and other stakeholders to prepare this important day for our democracy, so that it goes well! »» said the Minister of the Interior, Judith Uitermark on X.
The ballot in the fifth economy of the European Union will be closely followed in Europe, where the far -right parties have recorded significant electoral gains in recent times. The polls place the party for freedom (PVV) of the far-right leader Geert Wilders on the elbow with the alliance between the Greens and the Social Democrats of the former vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans.
They are closely followed by the Liberal Party VVD, which suggests disputed elections. These were triggered by the sudden withdrawal of Mr. Wilders and the PVV of a fragile power coalition, against the backdrop of disagreement on immigration.
A fractured Dutch political system
Mr. Wilders believes that the government took too long to set up the “The strictest immigration policy ever seen” wanted by the coalition. His party had created the surprise in November 2023 by winning the elections, with 37 out of the 150 seats in the lower room of the Parliament. But his ambitions to lead the country were upset after his electoral victory, his coalition partners who blocked his candidacy for the post of Prime Minister, choosing Mr. Schoof as a candidate for the compromise.
The leaders of the four coalition teams agreed not to occupy ministerial posts, preferring to lead their parties at the head of the Parliament. Mr. Wilders often said that the only way to implement his anti-immigrant policy was for him to become a Prime Minister. However, in a fractured Dutch political system, no party can obtain an absolute majority in Parliament, and Mr. Wilders needs partners.
The PVV seems to have lost part of its support since these elections, recent polls suggesting that it would win about 28 to 30 seats out of 150. But the question after the next elections will be: who will want to form a coalition with the PVV? The anger was general against the far -right leader, accused of having overthrew the government in what many perceived as an artificial crisis.
Source: Lemonde