{"id":9135,"date":"2023-07-08T18:52:22","date_gmt":"2023-07-08T17:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=9135"},"modified":"2023-07-08T18:52:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T17:52:22","slug":"dutch-government-crumbles-as-immigration-policy-sparks-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/brusselsindependent\/dutch-government-crumbles-as-immigration-policy-sparks-crisis\/2023\/07\/08\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Dutch Government Crumbles as Immigration Policy Sparks Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

The<\/span> Hague,<\/span> Netherlands<\/span> (Reuters)<\/span> –<\/span> Dutch<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Mark<\/span> Rutte<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> King<\/span> Willem-Alexander<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday<\/span> to<\/span> formally<\/span> leave<\/span> the<\/span> four-party<\/span> coalition,<\/span> paving<\/span> the<\/span> way<\/span> for<\/span> upcoming<\/span> parliamentary<\/span> elections.<\/span> A<\/span> deeply<\/span> divided<\/span> nation,<\/span> the<\/span> Netherlands<\/span> now<\/span> faces<\/span> the<\/span> challenge<\/span> of<\/span> resolving<\/span> this<\/span> political<\/span> crisis.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>King<\/span> Willem-Alexander<\/span> interrupted<\/span> his<\/span> family<\/span> vacation<\/span> in<\/span> Greece<\/span> to<\/span> meet<\/span> with<\/span> Mr<\/span> Rutte,<\/span> who<\/span> arrived<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> palace<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> Saab<\/span> station<\/span> wagon.<\/span> After<\/span> an<\/span> hour-long<\/span> meeting,<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Rutte<\/span> chose<\/span> not<\/span> to<\/span> answer<\/span> questions<\/span> from<\/span> reporters,<\/span> citing<\/span> the<\/span> private<\/span> nature<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> meeting<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> king.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> trigger<\/span> for<\/span> this<\/span> regime<\/span> change<\/span> was<\/span> the<\/span> immigration<\/span> crisis<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> plagued<\/span> Europe<\/span> for<\/span> years.<\/span> The<\/span> immigration<\/span> issue<\/span> exposed<\/span> deep<\/span> ideological<\/span> differences<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> four<\/span> parties<\/span> that<\/span> make<\/span> up<\/span> the<\/span> fragile<\/span> coalition.<\/span> With<\/span> general<\/span> elections<\/span> just<\/span> a<\/span> few<\/span> months<\/span> away,<\/span> the<\/span> issue<\/span> is<\/span> expected<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> focus<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> campaign.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Geert<\/span> Wilders,<\/span> leader<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> anti-immigrant<\/span> Liberal<\/span> Party,<\/span> said:<\/span> “We<\/span> are<\/span> the<\/span> party<\/span> that<\/span> can<\/span> secure<\/span> a<\/span> majority<\/span> that<\/span> will<\/span> significantly<\/span> stem<\/span> the<\/span> influx<\/span> of<\/span> asylum<\/span> seekers.”<\/span><\/p>\n

left-wing<\/span> opposition<\/span> also<\/span> wants<\/span> the<\/span> election<\/span> to<\/span> focus<\/span> on<\/span> addressing<\/span> Mr<\/span> Rutte’s<\/span> perceived<\/span> failures,<\/span> including<\/span> climate<\/span> change,<\/span> the<\/span> housing<\/span> crisis<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> future<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> agricultural<\/span> sector.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Socialist<\/span> Party<\/span> leader<\/span> Lillian<\/span> Marinissen<\/span> expressed<\/span> satisfaction<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> fall<\/span> of<\/span> Rutte’s<\/span> government,<\/span> saying:<\/span> “I<\/span> think<\/span> everyone<\/span> felt<\/span> that<\/span> this<\/span> cabinet<\/span> was<\/span> ready.”<\/span> They<\/span> have<\/span> created<\/span> more<\/span> problems<\/span> than<\/span> they<\/span> solved.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Despite<\/span> the<\/span> differences<\/span> among<\/span> the<\/span> four<\/span> parties<\/span> in<\/span> Rutte’s<\/span> government,<\/span> it<\/span> will<\/span> continue<\/span> to<\/span> function<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> caretaker<\/span> administration<\/span> until<\/span> a<\/span> new<\/span> coalition<\/span> is<\/span> formed.<\/span> However,<\/span> it<\/span> will<\/span> refrain<\/span> from<\/span> passing<\/span> major<\/span> legislation<\/span> during<\/span> this<\/span> period.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Sigrid<\/span> Kaag,<\/span> leader<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> centrist<\/span> D66<\/span> party,<\/span> emphasized<\/span> the<\/span> importance<\/span> of<\/span> political<\/span> stability<\/span> during<\/span> these<\/span> challenging<\/span> times,<\/span> tweeting,<\/span> “Given<\/span> the<\/span> challenges<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> times,<\/span> a<\/span> war<\/span> on<\/span> this<\/span> continent,<\/span> nobody<\/span> profits<\/span> from<\/span> a<\/span> political<\/span> crisis.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Rutte,<\/span> known<\/span> for<\/span> his<\/span> lengthy<\/span> tenure<\/span> and<\/span> ability<\/span> to<\/span> build<\/span> consensus,<\/span> appeared<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> the<\/span> one<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> willing<\/span> to<\/span> risk<\/span> toppling<\/span> his<\/span> fourth<\/span> coalition<\/span> government<\/span> by<\/span> making<\/span> tough<\/span> demands<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> negotiations<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> reducing<\/span> the<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> asylum<\/span> seekers<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Netherlands.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Reports<\/span> suggest<\/span> that<\/span> Rutte<\/span> spent<\/span> months<\/span> negotiating<\/span> a<\/span> set<\/span> of<\/span> measures<\/span> to<\/span> curb<\/span> the<\/span> influx<\/span> of<\/span> migrants<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> of<\/span> nearly<\/span> 18<\/span> million<\/span> people.<\/span> Proposed<\/span> measures<\/span> included<\/span> creating<\/span> two<\/span> categories<\/span> of<\/span> asylum<\/span> status\u2014one<\/span> temporary<\/span> for<\/span> individuals<\/span> fleeing<\/span> conflicts<\/span> and<\/span> another<\/span> permanent<\/span> for<\/span> those<\/span> seeking<\/span> to<\/span> escape<\/span> persecution\u2014and<\/span> reducing<\/span> the<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> family<\/span> members<\/span> permitted<\/span> to<\/span> join<\/span> asylum-seekers<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Netherlands.<\/span> But<\/span> the<\/span> idea<\/span> of<\/span> \u200b\u200bblocking<\/span> the<\/span> family<\/span> reunion<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> strong<\/span> opposition<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> ruling<\/span> minority<\/span> Christian<\/span> League.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Sigrid<\/span> Kaag<\/span> criticized<\/span> the<\/span> tense<\/span> atmosphere<\/span> during<\/span> negotiations,<\/span> saying,<\/span> “I<\/span> think<\/span> it<\/span> created<\/span> unnecessary<\/span> tension.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Another<\/span> coalition<\/span> partner,<\/span> Christian<\/span> Democrat<\/span> leader<\/span> Pieter<\/span> Herma,<\/span> called<\/span> Mr<\/span> Rutte’s<\/span> behavior<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> meeting<\/span> “almost<\/span> ruthless”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> government<\/span> collapsed<\/span> following<\/span> the<\/span> unexpected<\/span> victory<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> populist<\/span> BBB<\/span> (Peasant<\/span> Movement)<\/span> in<\/span> recent<\/span> state<\/span> elections.<\/span> The<\/span> BBB,<\/span> which<\/span> defends<\/span> peasant<\/span> interests,<\/span> is<\/span> already<\/span> the<\/span> largest<\/span> force<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Dutch<\/span> Senate<\/span> and<\/span> poses<\/span> a<\/span> serious<\/span> threat<\/span> to<\/span> Rutte’s<\/span> People’s<\/span> Party<\/span> for<\/span> Freedom<\/span> and<\/span> Democracy.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>BBB<\/span> leader<\/span> Caroline<\/span> van<\/span> der<\/span> Plath<\/span> explained<\/span> the<\/span> start<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> campaign,<\/span> tweeting:<\/span> “The<\/span> campaign<\/span> has<\/span> begun!”<\/span> and<\/span> her<\/span> party<\/span> supporters<\/span> hoisted<\/span> flags<\/span> and<\/span> banners<\/span> on<\/span> lampposts<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> show<\/span> of<\/span> enthusiasm.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Hague, Netherlands (Reuters) – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met with King Willem-Alexander on Saturday to formally leave the four-party coalition, paving the way for upcoming parliamentary elections. A deeply divided nation, the Netherlands now faces the challenge of resolving this political crisis. King Willem-Alexander interrupted his family vacation in Greece to meet with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6617,7429,7430,7431,7432,158,972,3651],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/RESGND.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9135"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9135"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9139,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9135\/revisions\/9139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}