The center-right coalition that governs the Netherlands fell this Friday due to differences over the reform of the asylum system, after the Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, has demanded that his partners restrict the reunification of direct relatives of war refugees , assures the local press.
The four parties that make up the Government have been in disagreement for months on how to manage the influx of refugees, but the situation became tense on Wednesday, when the liberal Rutte put on the table a limit to 200 family members of regrouped refugees per month and a period two-year waiting period before they can travel to the Netherlands.
This proposal has been considered unfeasible by the progressive D66, but above all by the Christian Union (CU), a partner for whom respect for the family is a red line.
Mark Rutte announced his resignation a few hours later. He assured “he has the energy to continue as leader of the party” liberal VVD, although he has said that he needs “time to think calmly” if he will run again in elections that are expected to be held in autumn, according to the Electoral Council.
The Netherlands has been trying for months to reach an agreement on how to reform its asylum system, but suspending the right to reunify parents, children and partners was already an unacceptable issue for D66 and CU in the coalition negotiations in 2021, and Rutte returned to put the same point on the table this week.
The de Rutte wanted to distinguish between refugees who are personally and permanently threatened (for political, religious or sexual orientation reasons) and those fleeing their country due to a “temporary” armed conflict, who are assumed to march when the war ends in their country. country.
This second group would have a more difficult time reuniting their family because the VVD in Rutte wants to allow only 200 reunited family members per refugee per month and there will be a two-year waiting period before they can travel to the Netherlands.
This coalition came to government on January 10, 2022, for which it has governed for just one year and 178 days.
It becomes the third cabinet led by Rutte that does not reach the end of the legislature and can be seen doomed to an electoral advance, which already happened in 2012, in his government with the far-right Geert Wilders, and in 2021, in coalition with the same parties with which he governed until now.
Rutte only finished one of the four legislatures that he led since his first arrival in government in 2010 and was the coalition with the social democrats PvdA between 2012 and 2017.
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