The Dutch are a rather dramatic species, organizing their system of government into coalitions of varying shades who accept high-minded niceties as a way of staying above the fray of a nagging conflict. Unfortunately, once a moment of basic and consequential disagreement reaches a deadlock, the entire Dutch government is said to “collapse.”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte traveled to Tunisia earlier this year, along with EU leaders, pledging €1 billion in aid if the North African guardians could stem the flow. The effort did not work, and his tiny country of 18 million, already facing a major internal conflict fueled by farmers and climate change, was unable to meet the toxic political challenge of increased migration illegal
Associated Press – The Dutch ruling coalition collapsed on Friday after tense talks between the prime minister’s four parties Marc RutteThe ruling bloc failed to negotiate a deal on ways to curb migration, a senior politician said.
Henk Kamp, a senior member of Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, told Dutch television: “It is a great shame that the government now it has fallen.” The months-long failure of conversations on the thorny issue could now force a general election.
Rutte’s cabinet met on Friday night in a hastily scheduled meeting. “We talked for a long time, we come here tonight because we didn’t get it,” Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren told reporters as she entered the cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers wasted no time in calling new elections.
Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Freedom Party, tweeted: “Snap election 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.”
Rutte, the longest-serving Dutch prime minister, presided over late-night meetings on Wednesday and Thursday that failed to reach an agreement. Further talks were held on Friday evening and he declined to answer questions on the issue at his weekly press conference ahead of the discussions.
[…] Elections for the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament are likely to be held later this year amid a polarized and fragmented political landscape. Rutte’s cabinet would likely remain in office as a caretaker administration until a new government is formed.
In this year’s provincial election, a populist pro-farmer party put Rutte’s party in second place. The defeat was seen as a possible incentive for Rutte to do his best to hold his coalition together until his term ends in 2025. (Read more)
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