Description: Leader of the far- right Freedom Party (PVV) Geert Wilders announced the party’s exit from the Netherlands ruling coalition triggering early snap elections and a potential prolonged political crisis. Wilders stated that initiatives drawn up by his own political establishment concerning migration regulations and imposing stricter migration laws were repeatedly refused by the trilateral ruling coalition in the Dutch Parliament. Wilders publicly commented that his goal was to become the next Dutch Prime Minister and formulate the Netherlands foreign policy in the politically correct direction. Incumbent Prime Minister Dick Schoof disbanded the government and announced its collapse scheduling potential elections in Oct or Nov this year while acting as a caretaker of the present state of governance. Before Schoof disbanded the country’s government, leaders from the ruling coalition from the Farmers’ Citizen Movement (BBB), the centrist New Social Contract pledged to Wilders to withdraw the decision to no avail. The forcibly incited political crisis would impact the country’s standing, as the Hague is scheduled to host world leaders and defense officials on the NATO Summit next week.
Impact: PVV’s sudden withdrawal from the Dutch Parliament and the incitement of a prolonged political crisis underscores the influence and the socio – economic infiltration of far – right parties and political movements within Europe. The political crisis in the Netherlands also emphasizes the surmounting issues that the continent collectively has with migration as multiple countries are facing legislature problems and large waves of migrants mostly from the Middle East. Wilders’ withdrawal despite causing significant political division and internal governance disruptions also highlights the weakly conceptualized political system in the Netherlands where three parties rule the government as to prevent potential governing unilateralism. Wilder’s decision to plunge the country into a political crisis also comes at a crucial time when he can utilize the NATO Summit next week to shelve support from US President Donald Trump to whose policies Wilders is plainly aligned. The crisis also upends the country’s bid for increased defense expenditure in the midst of next week’s Summit, which sends a message of substantial political deterioration in the highly fluid and risk prone geopolitical climate within Europe.