Cabinet is staggering after a new requirement of PVV leader Wilders

The sheaf cabinet is in separate screws. The coalition consultation Monday evening, between Geert Wilders (PVV), Dilan Yesilgöz (VVD), Nicolien van Vroonhoven (NSC) and Caroline van der Plas (BBB), has run out of an impasse.

Wilders demands that the three other party leaders put their signature under a large part of the plans he presented a week ago to reduce the number of asylum seekers in the Netherlands. His coalition partners refuse that. They believe that Wilders must first work out his plans, or to ask Minister Marjolein Faber (asylum and migration, PVV). And also that many of his plans are already in the outline agreement and can therefore be implemented if Faber hurry.

The Netherlands does not like runners

« We are going to think now, » Wilders said after the conversation, which he called « not pleasant. » « It doesn’t look good. » The four party leaders talk further on Tuesday morning. « I believe that everyone is going to sleep for another night, » said the PVV leader.

It is certain: Wilders is currently in control. If he does not bind, the coalition parties must decide whether they give him his way to maintain the cabinet. If not, the cabinet will fall over asylum and migration, an important topic for the PVV, which Wilders would like to have an election campaign about.

Asylum stop

The chance that Wilders will bind has become smaller by the day last week. He escalates faster and faster. The coalition now means that he aims to drop the cabinet.

When Wilders announced two weeks ago that he wanted to break open the outline agreement and talk about new measures about asylum and migration, the coalition barely responded to this. A week ago the PVV person surprised them by announcing ten measures, including an asylum stop and a temporary stop at family reunification. At a press conference he organized Wilders threatened with the fall of the cabinetif his requirements were not met. « The gloves are out, » he said in front of the cameras. It caused worries within the coalition. But he managed to remove them somewhat indoors somewhat. He gave the impression that it would not go that fast.

So when he wrote on X on Sunday that he wanted to be « crystal clear » and that the PVV would step « out of this coalition » if the « majority » of the plans was not taken over, the coalition was surprised again.

Monday evening, just before the consultation in the Wilders’ office, the party leaders of VVD, NSC and BBB seemed to want to radiate a carefree, almost indifferent position. « If Mr. Wilders’ deployment is that things should clap, then he must say that, » said Dilan Yesilgöz. « We have seen this kind of scenes before, » said Nicolien van Vroonhoven, « we now know how to respond to it. »

When asked if she thought that Wilders would drop the cabinet, Caroline van der Plas said: « The Netherlands does not like runners. »

Promise

After the consultation, the mood was different. Nobody knows why Wilders makes it go so high. And nobody sees a clear way out.

The PVV is in a plight. Wilders’ party became the largest after the elections, and then it was possible for months to also dominate in the polls. Something has changed in recent months, the PVV is sinking further and further. According to Wilders, that is because the PVV does not know how to fulfill its own election promises.

In the negotiations about the Spring Memorandum, in April, Wilders managed to get a point that is important to his supporters: a temporary freezing freezing for people with social rental homes. The Council of State ruled this Monday very negative About, it is uncertain what will happen now with the measure with which Wilders unpacked in a big way.

For the consultation, the party leaders of VVD, NSC and BBB seemed to want to radiate a carefree, almost indifferent position

Moreover, this month it will be decided on the NATO standard, the percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) that countries spend on their defense. It is clear that the Netherlands must at least spend 16 to 19 billion euros extra on the Defense annually to meet NATO objectives. It still needs to be decided on that, but Wilders has said earlier that he wants just as much money to go to the lowest incomes. A politically unattainable wish.

And therefore also: a possible new disappointment who has to explain Wilders to his supporters.

Yet it is also difficult for Wilders to drop the cabinet now. He reigns for the first time as the largest party, is part of a right -wing coalition with which he could get the most done on migration of his plans and also delivers the minister on the most important file for his party.

The chance that he can reign again after new elections was already extremely small, and has only become smaller after the last few days.

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