By Susen Glunk
13/06/2025
On June 3, 2025, the Netherlands witnessed the abrupt collapse of its government as Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) withdrew from the ruling coalition. This move led Prime Minister Dick Schoof to resign, leaving the country under a caretaker administration and prompting calls for new elections later this year.
The coalition, a fragile alliance of PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, had been in power for just 11 months. Tensions peaked over disagreements on asylum policies, particularly due to Wilders’ push for stricter measures, such as revoking citizenship in cases of criminality and deporting certain asylum seekers directly at the borders through permanent check points operated by the Dutch army. These proposals met strong resistance from coalition partners, leading to an impasse.
While Wilders cited policy disagreements as the reason for his party’s exit, some analysts suggest deeper motives. It’s possible that he’s positioning himself for a political comeback, perhaps aiming for the prime minister’s seat he had to turn down after the last election as part of a deal with coalition partners to form a government – even though his party being the strongest at the time. Since then, the party’s popularity has been slipping in the polls over the past 11 months, and this move could be a deliberate attempt to regain lost ground. They show a decline in support for the PVV, raising questions about whether this exit Wilders’ calculated attempt to shift the focus back his core issue of migration. Specifically, as geopolitical and security concerns have dominated politics and media since his party came to power pushing migration somewhat into the background.
That said, the Dutch political expert Cas Mudde argues that Wilders’ decision is driven more by ideological rigidity than by strategic calculation, as he, unlike many right-wing politicians in Europe, usually prioritizes ideology over political strategy.
Looking at the opinion polls, public reaction to Wilders’ departure has been mixed. A snap online poll by the current affairs programme EenVandaag found that over 60% of voters felt relieved by his exit. Business leaders in the Netherlands, for instance, have welcomed the government’s fall, criticizing the outgoing administration’s economic performance, while many left-leaning voters were happy to see the end of a hard-right coalition.
However, opinions within Wilders’ own party base are divided. Breaking up the government could backfire in new elections, as seen in Germany last November, where the Liberals were blamed for the government collapse and failed to secure a place in the next administration. Moreover, some within the PVV base also believe their party who was the one holding the migration ministry should have been more consistent and effective in their handling of the migration portfolio. Since that wasn’t the case, the question remains whether their success story is based mainly on campaigning on migration, rather than actually implementing migration policies.
Looking ahead, the Netherlands faces a period of political uncertainty. The caretaker government, limited in its powers, must navigate critical issues, including national security and economic challenges both emphatically demanded by voters, until new elections can be held, assumingly in October. The upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on June 24 will test the country’s ability to maintain its international commitments despite domestic turmoil.
As the Netherlands prepares for new elections, the real question is whether the political debate will keep circling around immigration and Geert Wilders, or if it will finally shift toward broader and arguably more urgent issues - like housing, healthcare, and economic stability. The direction this takes won’t just shape the future of Dutch politics, but also reflects a wider pattern across Europe. Again and again, countries seem to turn - and return - to the topic of immigration, as if it’s the only issue that matters. But isn’t it worth asking: is this really the most pressing problem we face in the 21st century, or just the loudest one?
Bibliography
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