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The government falls in the Netherlands / Cause, disagreements over immigration policies

2023-07-08 12:15:54, Kosova & Bota CNA

The government falls in the Netherlands / Cause, disagreements over immigration

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte

The Dutch government collapsed on Friday after members of the ruling coalition failed to reach an agreement on limiting immigration, which will trigger new elections in the autumn.

The crisis was sparked by a push by Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative VVD party to limit the flow of asylum seekers to the Netherlands, which was not supported by two parties in the four-party government coalition.

"It is no secret that the coalition partners have different opinions about immigration policies. Today, unfortunately, we have come to the conclusion that these differences have become insurmountable. Therefore, I will submit the resignation of the entire cabinet to the king ", Prime Minister Rutte said at a press conference.

Tensions came to a head this week when Prime Minister Rutte sought support for a proposal to limit the entry of children of war refugees who are already in the Netherlands and force families to wait at least two years before being reunited.

This latest proposal went too far for the small Christian and liberal D66 Union, causing a stalemate.

Prime Minister Rutte's coalition will remain in power as an interim government until a new administration is formed after new elections, a process which in the fractious Dutch political landscape usually takes months.

The ANP news agency, citing the national election commission, said the election would not be held before mid-November.

An interim government cannot decide on new policies, but Mr Rutte said this would not affect the country's support for Ukraine.

The Netherlands already has one of the toughest immigration policies in Europe, but under pressure from right-wing parties, Mr Rutte had been trying for months to find ways to further reduce the flow of asylum seekers.

Asylum applications in the Netherlands rose by a third last year to more than 46,000, and the government has predicted they could rise to more than 70,000 this year, reaching the highest level recorded in 2015.

Prime Minister Rutte, 56, is the longest-serving head of government in Dutch history and the oldest in the EU after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He is expected to lead his VVD party again in the upcoming elections.

Mr. Rutte's current governing coalition, which came to power in January 2022, was his fourth consecutive administration since he became prime minister in October 2010./ VOA