Dutch Government Falls After Far-Right Leader Pulls Party Out of Coalition

The Dutch government collapsed yesterday after the far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the ruling coalition in a row over immigration and asylum policy.

- Jon Henley

The prime minister, Dick Schoof, handed in his resignation and that of his cabinet to King Willem-Alexander. Remaining ministers will stay on in a caretaker capacity until new elections, most likely in October.

"We have decided that there is now insufficient support for this government," Schoof told reporters in The Hague after an emergency cabinet meeting, adding that he considered Wilders's decision "irresponsible and unnecessary".

Wilders, whose populist, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) finished as the largest in parliament in the last elections, said he would "fight the coming elections to make the PVV even stronger... with the aim of becoming prime minister".

The far-right leader had said earlier yesterday that all his party's ministers would quit the government after the other three partners in the four-party coalition had rejected his radical proposals on immigration.

"I signed up for the toughest asylum policy, not the downfall of the Netherlands," he said. He had said last week that if his plans were not adopted, the PVV would be "out of the cabinet".