Dutch Government Coalition Collapses, Dick Schoof Seeks Parliamentary Support

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof/PHOTO via Instagram @minpres

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who acted on temporary status after his resignation, sought parliamentary support on Wednesday for security and defense issues.

This was done the day after far-right leader Geert Wilders suddenly left the governing coalition.

Although no date has yet been set for the rapid election, it is likely that elections will be held in the fall based on the previous election cycle.

Wilders' exit time - which he said was due to the slow progress of the government in imposing immigration restrictions - was odd, just three weeks before the Netherlands hosted a NATO summit.

There, world leaders will be asked to increase their defense and security spending targets more than double that of 2% to 5% of GDP.

"In my opinion, the fall of this cabinet is unnecessary and irresponsible," said Schoof, who resigned hours after Wilders withdrew his party, PVV, from the coalition, to a 150-member lower house.

"Nationally and internationally, we face major challenges, and more than ever, firmness is needed for the security, resilience and our rapidly changing world economy," he continued.

Schoof asked legislators to support key policy decisions relating to military support for Ukraine, defense spending, living expenses, housing, migration, and tariffs.

Wilders, who reiterated his plans to freeze all immigration, said he intends to become his next prime minister, even as his party continues to lose popularity in power.

"I propose a plan to close borders for asylum seekers, stop them, send them away, stop the construction of asylum centers, and instead close them down," Wilders said in a debate held to address the political crisis.

"I asked my coalition partners to sign it, but they didn't," he said.

Frans Timmermans, a former European Union commissioner leading left-wing opposition, said he would cooperate with the interim government, which no longer includes Wilders's Freedom Party, on security issues, and accuse Wilders of causing political disputes and paralysis.

"When responsibility must be taken, when a difficult decision needs to be made, Mr. Wilders is not visible," he said.