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The Dutch government has averted collapse over migration policy after far-right leader Geert Wilders backed down over a demand for drastic measures potentially in breach of EU law.
His Freedom party, one of the four coalition partners in the Netherlands, scrapped a plan to declare a migration crisis, which would have allowed the adoption of further measures without parliamentary consent.
Instead, centre-right coalition partner New Social Contract convinced Wilders to settle for a draconian refugee policy set to be approved by the cabinet on Friday, which will have to be endorsed by parliament.
These include cutting residency rights for refugees from five to three years, allowing some to be returned to parts of Syria, scrapping quotas for housing refugees, and reintroducing border controls as Germany has done, two party officials told the Financial Times.
The compromise is the latest attempt by centrist forces in the three-month-old government to rein in anti-Islam firebrand Wilders, whose party won the most seats in last year’s election, sending shockwaves through the EU.
But even as the cabinet’s break-up had been averted for now, it remained a strong probability, said Sarah de Lange, politics professor at the University of Amsterdam.
“The government might last a little longer. However, it is becoming increasingly unstable due to the lack of competence displayed by various Freedom party ministers.”
The latest was a visit to Uganda by trade minister Reinette Klaver last week when she said the Netherlands could send failed asylum seekers to the country.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who is not a member of any of the four coalition partners, knew nothing about the plan in advance and was forced to defend it as a “serious idea” at his first EU summit.
The next day, Uganda’s foreign minister told Dutch radio the subject wasn’t discussed, only “Dutch support for refugees who are already in Uganda”.
The government’s actions were “shameful”, said Jesse Klaver, leader of the Greens — an opposition party that together with the Dutch Labour party is the second-largest bloc in the national parliament.
“The fiercest opposition the prime minister gets is from Wilders, not from the opposition, because we try to come up with plans and ideas and have a real debate.
“But Wilders just goes after him and in a very arrogant way.
“These centre-right parties enabled the new radical right party to be in the centre of power of the Netherlands. And that’s unique. I hope this is a once-in-a-lifetime [event].”
The other three parties in government said they had little choice but to work with Wilders as he won the most seats. They blocked the veteran MP, who lives in a safe house and is guarded round the clock because of death threats, from being prime minister. Now he is acting “like he’s still in opposition”, said Klaver.
Rob Jetten, leader of D66, a liberal party that ended Mark Rutte’s government last year when he tried to tighten migration policy, said the new team achieved little in their first 100 days except budget cuts.
Billions of euros were slashed from education, health and research in September’s budget.
“We have had 100 days of fighting within the coalition, both in the government and between the coalition parties.
“We’ve been talking about the so-called migration crisis now for three months and literally nothing, nothing has happened. They’re not delivering.”
But Dirk Gotink, a member of the European parliament from NSC, said the government was tackling the failures of Rutte’s coalition.
The country’s sole asylum holding centre was overwhelmed, the budget deficit was growing and the country was breaching nitrogen pollution limits. Gotink said the budget deficit was scheduled to hit 3 per cent, the maximum allowed under EU rules, and the budget cut it to 2.5 per cent.
“The last government spent away their political disagreements by funding everything. We have to be ready for the next economic shock.”
De Lange said Wilders would welcome a snap vote but did not want to be the cause of government collapse. In Dutch politics, “the breaker pays”, she said.
“He has to strike a delicate balance between showing he is principled and responsible, all while steering towards new elections so that NSC will implode and a three-party coalition in which Wilders has the upper hand can be formed.”