THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A new Dutch government was sworn into office Tuesday on promises to impose strict new limits on immigration, more than seven months after elections dominated by a far-right, anti-Islam party.
While its policies seem largely inward-looking, the new government pledges to maintain support for Ukraine. New Prime Minister Dick Schoof, a former intelligence chief, told the Associated Press he sees the biggest threat to the Netherlands coming from ‘’the east.”
Tuesday marked the first time the Netherlands has had a new prime minister in 14 years, as Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in the country’s new government and Schoof took over from long-serving Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The anti-immigration party of firebrand Geert Wilders won the largest share of seats in elections last year but it took 223 days to form a government.
Schoof, former head of the Dutch intelligence agency and counterterrorism office, signed the official royal decree Tuesday at Huis Ten Bosch Palace. The 67-year-old was formally installed alongside 15 other ministers who make up the country’s right-leaning coalition.
The new coalition quickly faced criticism of its marquee anti-immigration policies — by its own party members, as well as opposition groups. Protesters gathered in front of the palace where the ceremony took place on Tuesday, with one woman carrying a sign asking: “Are we democratically getting rid of our democracy?”
The four parties in the coalition are Wilders’ Party for Freedom, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, the populist Farmer Citizen Movement and the centrist New Social Contract party.
The formal agreement creating the new coalition, titled “Hope, courage and pride,” introduces strict measures on asylum-seekers, scraps family reunification for refugees and seeks to reduce the number of international students studying in the country.
Opposition from other coalition partners prevented the controversial Wilders from taking the prime minister’s job. During the monthslong negotiations, he backpedaled on several of his most extreme views, including withdrawing draft legislation that would have banned mosques, Islamic schools and the Quran.
The coalition agreement pledges to continue providing assistance to Ukraine, which has included billions in both military and nonmilitary support.
“This was one of the three pillars,” new defense minister Ruben Brekelmans told AP. Brekelmans said that despite previous comments by Wilders, who has expressed pro-Russia views, he was not concerned that the new government would change course on the subject.
Schoof was unequivocal. “The greatest threat is from the east. And I might be more worried about it than most,” Prime Minister Schoof told AP just after he took up his new office.
Schoof served as National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security when Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014. The passenger jet was traveling from Amsterdam to Malaysia, killing all 298 aboard, including 196 Dutch citizens. A Dutch court convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian in 2022 of involvement.
Although the November elections were widely seen as a win for the Dutch far right, political youth organizations are already pushing back on the ambitions of the new government. Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, youth groups from six parties, including two of the coalition partners, called for a softening on asylum plans.
“Although the influx must be limited, it is of great importance that we receive people here fairly and with dignity,” Eva Brandemann, chairperson of the youth wing of the New Social Contract, told Dutch public broadcaster NOS.
The head of the youth wing of Rutte’s party, which brought down the government last summer over concerns about the number of family reunifications for refugees, said that problems stemmed from administration, not migration.
“The problem will only get bigger if you don’t fix it,” Mauk Bresser, the chair of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy youth organization told AP.
The new agreement slashes the country’s education budget by nearly 1 billion euros — about $1.06 billion — prompting pushback from universities. “Students will not get the education they deserve,” Nivja de Jong, a languages professor at Leiden University, told the AP. She’s part of a group of academics pushing back against the proposed cuts by delivering lunchtime talks about the importance of their research.
The new government will now spend the summer firming the coalition agreement into a governing plan.
The Netherlands isn’t the only country seeing a rise of anti-immigration, far-right views. Last month’s EU elections saw a similar shift, and French voters face a decisive choice on July 7 in the runoff of snap parliamentary elections that could see the country’s first far-right government since the World War II Nazi occupation.
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Rephrased content:
The Netherlands welcomed its new government on Tuesday, emphasizing strict limits on immigration as a core focus of their administration. Prime Minister Dick Schoof, a former intelligence chief, highlighted concerns about threats from “the east,” while also pledging continued support for Ukraine. This inauguration marked the first change in prime ministership in 14 years, with Schoof succeeding Mark Rutte. The formation of this government, led by a coalition of right-leaning parties, followed a prolonged 223-day negotiation process after the anti-immigration party led by Geert Wilders gained significant parliamentary seats.
The new coalition, comprising parties like the Party for Freedom, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, Farmer Citizen Movement, and New Social Contract party, introduced policies with a strong anti-immigration stance. Despite facing internal and external opposition, the government aims to implement measures such as strict regulations on asylum-seekers, abolishment of refugee family reunification, and a reduction in the number of international students in the country. The agreement, entitled “Hope, courage and pride,” also underscored the commitment to aid Ukraine.
This government formation prompted debates and protests, with critics questioning the erosion of democracy due to the stringent immigration policies. Nevertheless, coalition members pushed through with compromises, inhibiting Wilders from assuming the prime minister’s position. Notably, Wilders backtracked on extreme proposals during negotiations, such as the banning of mosques and Islamic schools. The coalition’s defense minister reaffirmed the commitment to supporting Ukraine, despite some concerns given Wilders’ previously expressed pro-Russia sentiments.
Prime Minister Schoof, who has a background in counterterrorism, stressed the threat posed by the east, particularly following the tragic 2014 downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. The court’s recent convictions related to the incident highlighted the ongoing tensions in the region. Despite concerns about the government’s tough immigration stance, various youth organizations and academic groups have indicated resistance to certain policies, particularly those impacting education funding.
As the new government finalizes its governing plan over the summer, the political landscape in Europe is experiencing a broader shift towards far-right and anti-immigration sentiments. Similar trends were observed in recent EU elections, with forthcoming elections in France potentially signaling a significant turn towards far-right governance.
