The Dutch government has collapsed after far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his Party for Freedom out of the ruling coalition over disagreements on migration policy. Prime Minister Dick Schoof confirmed that he would submit the resignations of Wilders’ ministers and continue in a caretaker role alongside the remaining cabinet.

Wilders announced his decision after a short meeting with coalition partners, citing frustration over the lack of progress on migration. “I proposed a plan to close the borders for asylum seekers, to send them away, to shut asylum shelters. I demanded coalition partners sign up to that, which they didn’t. That left me no choice but to withdraw my support for this government,” he said. “I signed up for the strictest asylum policies, not for the demise of the Netherlands.”

Schoof described Wilders’ decision as “unnecessary and irresponsible,” adding that the country faces major challenges both nationally and internationally that require decisiveness. “We need decisiveness now more than ever,” he said.

The collapse of the government is likely to delay a decision on boosting defense spending and means the Netherlands will have only a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of the transatlantic NATO alliance this month. No date for new elections has been set, but one is unlikely before autumn.

Wilders’ Party for Freedom won the last election in November 2023 with 23% of the vote, but polls now put his party at around 20%, roughly on par with the Labour/Green combination. Wilders had demanded immediate support for a 10-point plan that included closing the borders to asylum seekers, sending back refugees from Syria, and shutting down asylum shelters.

Dilan Yesilgoz, leader of the right-wing People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, called Wilders’ exit “super-irresponsible,” adding that the party faces enormous international challenges, including war in Europe and an economic crisis. “How can you do this to the Netherlands,” she asked.

The Netherlands will operate under a caretaker government until a new election is held, likely in October or November. The fractured political landscape means the formation of a new government may take months. Simon Otjes, assistant professor in Dutch politics at Leiden University, said the PVV must have calculated that the next election would be seen as a referendum on immigration policy, “because they know they would win that”.