The former head of the Dutch secret services, Dick Schoof, was sworn in yesterday as the country’s prime minister, seven months after the November 2023 elections.
During this period, the four parties of the first coalition government that’s led by the far-right, were struggling to agree on a leader. Schoof was the fifth consecutive person they approached and one of the few candidates acceptable to all parties. The coalition includes the far-right PVV of G. Wilders, the conservative/liberal VVD, the centrist NSC, and the conservative BBB Farmers-Citizens Movement.
Schoof replaces the center-right M. Rutte, who served as prime minister for 14 years and will now become NATO’s secretary-general.
According to the BBC, the far-right faction won the most seats in the elections but did not achieve a majority, contrary to analysts’ expectations. As a result, Wilders had to set aside his aspirations to become prime minister and moderate his extreme stances, including proposals to ban the Quran, close Dutch borders, and hold a referendum on EU membership for the Netherlands.
According to the British outlet, the main issues before the elections were the high cost of living, environmental concerns, and the Dutch’s perception that immigration policies had not been effective.
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