Geert Wilders quits coalition, triggering Dutch government collapse

The Dutch government collapsed Tuesday morning after Geert Wilders, head of the PVV (Party for Freedom), abruptly exited the coalition over a breakdown in asylum policy negotiations.

“No signature for our asylum plans, no changes to the main coalition agreement. The PVV is leaving the coalition,” Wilders declared on social media, bringing an end to the fragile four-party alliance less than a year into its formation.

Wilders had pushed a hardline 10-point migration plan, unveiled at a press conference last week, which included deploying the army to secure borders, closing refugee housing facilities, and deporting all Syrian refugees, arguing that Syria is no longer a high-risk country. He demanded that coalition partners endorse his proposals by Monday and ensure implementation within weeks. When they refused, he walked.

Coalition leaders expressed outrage and disbelief. Caroline van der Plas of the BBB called the move “irresponsible,” saying Wilders “had all the trumps in his hand and yet he just pulls the plug.” Nicolien van Vroonhoven of the NSC labeled the decision “incomprehensible,” while VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz accused Wilders of political sabotage: “We had a right-wing majority and he lets it all go for his ego.”

Wilders also called for suspending EU asylum quotas and banning family reunification for refugees already in the Netherlands. Legal experts have warned that many of his proposals, including deporting Syrians en masse, may breach EU law and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, given the government’s own classification of Syria as unsafe.

With PVV holding 37 of the 150 seats in parliament, the coalition’s collapse throws the Netherlands back into political uncertainty and may force new elections if a resolution isn't found.