Dutch government collapses over immigration policy
NBCJul 04, 2023
The Facts
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on Saturday to discuss forming a caretaker administration, a day after he offered the resignation of his coalition government in writing amid a dispute over migration.
Talks lasted about an hour and a half, with the country's longest-serving prime minister — in power since 2010 — stating that the confidential discussions with the monarch were positive.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
While parties in the coalition have long disagreed on the asylum issue, the VVD is to blame for this breakdown as it forced Rutte to push a tougher policy to appease dissent in his own ranks. As anti-government feeling has skyrocketed in the country and modern tensions have ripped the political playbook, snap elections are a golden opportunity for those challenging the status quo in the Netherlands.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's certain that the Farmers-Citizen Movement came from nowhere to become a political powerhouse, but Rutte is not nicknamed "Teflon" for nothing. Despite collapsing the coalition, his hard line on migration is a vote-winner, and he's likely to be backed by establishment parties. Given that he has returned to power on the three previous occasions he has resigned, another victory wouldn't be a surprise.
