Dissolution of the Dutch Government Coalition (2025)

In 2025, a right-leaning coalition government was formed in the Netherlands. It ended with the withdrawal of the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid – PVV) from the coalition on 3 June 2025. PVV leader Geert Wilders announced that his party was ending its participation in the government after its demands regarding refugee policy were not accepted by coalition partners. This development effectively brought the cabinet led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof to an end.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom – (Anadolu Ajansı)

Formation and Structure of the Coalition

Following the general elections held in the Netherlands in 2023, a coalition government was formed comprising four parties. The coalition consisted of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a center-right party; the New Social Contract (NSC), a centrist party; the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), a rural-based party; and the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV). Dick Schoof, a technocrat with prior experience in internal security and intelligence agencies, was appointed as Prime Minister. The PVV became the largest partner in the coalition based on the number of seats it won in parliament.

Disagreement Over Migration and Refugee Policy

PVV leader Geert Wilders demanded radical changes to the coalition’s migration policy. His demands included:

• Closing the Netherlands’ borders to halt refugee arrivals,
• Deploying military personnel actively in border controls,
• Reducing the number of existing refugee accommodation centers,
• Expelling Syrian refugees holding temporary residence permits from the country.

Wilders insisted that these demands be formally incorporated into the coalition agreement. In a statement on 2 June 2025, he declared: “If nothing or not enough changes, the PVV will leave.”

PVV’s Withdrawal from the Coalition

On the morning of 3 June 2025, during a coalition meeting, Wilders announced to fellow coalition leaders and the public via his social media account X that his party was withdrawing from the government after its demands were rejected. In his post, he stated: “No approval for our migration plan. No changes to the coalition agreement. PVV is leaving the coalition.” Later that day at 13:30, the Council of Ministers convened to assess the next steps following the removal of PVV ministers from their positions.

Statements from Coalition Partners

The decision of the PVV to withdraw was communicated to the public through statements issued by the other coalition partners. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz stated in her remarks on the process that Wilders’s demands could not be met and therefore the coalition could not continue. BBB leader Caroline van der Plas affirmed that the PVV played a decisive role in the collapse of the coalition.

NSC leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven indicated that coalition negotiations were ongoing and that some of the PVV’s demands had been under consideration. With the collapse of the coalition, the governing cabinet led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof effectively lost its parliamentary majority.

Call for Early Elections from Opposition Parties

Following the PVV’s withdrawal from government, opposition parties called for early elections. CDA leader Henri Bontenbal stated that after two years of coalition experience, new elections were the most suitable option for the country. D66 leader Rob Jetten emphasized that the dissolution of the coalition was an anticipated development and argued that other parties had long been politically constrained by Wilders.