Dutch Government Falls as Wilders’ Far-Right Party Quits Over Migration

The Dutch government plunged into crisis Tuesday after far-right leader Geert Wilders announced his Party for Freedom (PVV) was pulling out of the coalition, ending Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s cabinet after less than a year in power.

Wilders tweeted a blunt message: “No signature for our asylum plans. No changes to the coalition agreement. PVV is leaving.” The immediate trigger was a fierce dispute over asylum policy. Wilders demanded that his coalition partners endorse the PVV’s “ten-point plan” on asylum, which includes closing borders with military patrols, turning away all asylum-seekers at entry points, suspending family reunification for refugees, and deporting Syrians currently on temporary visas, arguing large parts of Syria are now safe. His plan also calls for automatic deportation of migrants convicted of violent or sexual crimes.

The coalition itself is a fragile alliance formed last July after prolonged negotiations, consisting of Wilders’ far-right PVV, the populist Farmer-Citizens Movement (BBB), the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Tensions over migration had been bubbling for some time, and Tuesday’s fallout was widely expected by coalition insiders.

Wilders told reporters that when his demands were rejected, he saw no option but to withdraw PVV ministers from the government. “I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not the downfall of the Netherlands,” he said, adding that the party had promised voters a harsh asylum regime, including closing the borders to asylum-seekers.

The other coalition leaders responded sharply. BBB’s Caroline van der Plas called Wilders’ move “irresponsible,” warning that stepping back now hands the country “to the Left on a silver platter.” NSC’s Nicolien van Vroonhoven expressed disbelief at the sudden announcement, describing it as “really incomprehensible.” VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz accused Wilders of putting personal interests ahead of the country’s during a period of “unprecedented uncertainty.” She insisted the coalition had already planned tough migration measures, and that delays were due to PVV’s internal missteps rather than genuine policy disagreements.

The coalition’s collapse means the government loses its majority, setting the stage for potential new elections and a return to political uncertainty in the Netherlands. This crisis comes just weeks ahead of a crucial NATO summit in The Hague, where allies are expected to pledge increased defense spending.

Wilders’ PVV remains the largest party in the Dutch Lower House, though recent polls have seen its support dip, bringing it level with the VVD and the left-leaning GroenLinks–PvdA bloc. Yet the party’s exit from the coalition marks a significant rupture in Dutch politics, underlining the fragile nature of the current alliance and the deep divisions over migration policy.