After marathon nightly negotiations, the parties in the Netherlands have agreed on a right-wing conservative coalition, according to right-wing populist Geert Wilders. This wants to take tough action in asylum policy.
Right-wing populist Geert Wilders has announced a radical change of course for the Netherlands. “We are writing history today,” said the politician on Thursday in The Hague at the presentation of the coalition agreement between four right-wing parties.
For the first time in about 20 years, the right-wing politician is in the “center of power,” as he said. “The sun will shine again in the Netherlands.” The leader of the anti-Islam party promised “the strictest asylum policy ever” and a drastic restriction on immigration.
The coalition agreement published on Thursday states: “Concrete steps will be taken towards the strictest asylum rules ever adopted and the most comprehensive package of measures ever taken to control migration.”
People without a valid residence permit should therefore be deported “by force if necessary”. The new coalition says it wants to submit an application to the European Commission “as quickly as possible” in order to be able to deviate from European asylum policy.
In addition, an “asylum crisis” should be declared in order to be able to enforce emergency measures. The plan is to limit the asylum status in time, and there will also be restrictions on family reunification and social assistance.
“The Netherlands must structurally belong to the category of member states with the strictest admission rules in Europe,” the paper says. The plans also include relaxing environmental regulations for farmers and eliminating subsidies for sustainable energy.
Wilders, sometimes referred to as the “Dutch Trump” with reference to former US President Donald Trump, won the parliamentary election almost six months ago with his Party for Freedom (PVV). But he needed at least two partners for a stable majority.
The 60-year-old politician had given up the office of prime minister in order to enable a right-wing government. It remains unclear who will become the new head of government. Former Social Democratic Education Minister Ronald Plasterk is being discussed as a candidate.
In addition to the PVV, the future government parties are the right-wing liberal VVD of the previous Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the new right-wing conservative NSC and the right-wing populist farmers’ party BBB.
In their coalition agreement, the four parties assure that their country will remain a “constructive partner” in the EU. Ukraine should therefore continue to be supported “politically, militarily, financially and morally”.
The new government coalition also wants to consider moving the Dutch embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Such a move is considered highly controversial because Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital, but the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
What is also interesting is what the parties agreed to back in March. Because the future government should consist of half professional politicians and half non-politicians. The last time the Netherlands was ruled by such an “expert” coalition was in 1918.
After hours of negotiations on Tuesday, Wilders spoke of a “historic day” with regard to his right-wing populist PVV, which could now become part of a Dutch government for the first time.
For opposition leader Frans Timmermans, however, it was a “worrying day”. There is now a right-wing populist party under Wilders that is at the center of power in the Netherlands, the former EU commissioner said.
It will probably be another four weeks before the new government can take office. First, Parliament will debate the plans.
Then the cabinet must be put together. The previous right-wing liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte had announced his departure from politics and would become NATO Secretary General.