The Netherlands’ new right-wing government has been sworn in before the King. Dick Schoof is Prime Minister

Brussels – From today, the Netherlands has a new government, never before so skewed to the right. The newly appointed prime minister, Dick Schoof, and his team of 15 ministers were sworn in this morning (July 2) at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in front of King Willem-Alexander, marking the beginning of a government experiment between Liberals, Populars, and the far right in The Hague. “For a safe and fair Netherlands, with social security for all,” the new Premier wrote in a post on X: “I am in favor of keeping control over migration, maintaining dialogue, making choices, and being clear about it.”

After the agreement between the four political forces that formed the new governing coalition, on May 28 they decided on the name of the Prime Minister, the former secretary general of the Ministry of Justice and Security, who met with the leaders of the Liberals from the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), of the center-right New Social Contract (NSC), the Civic-Country Movement (BBB), and the far-right Party for Freedom(PVV). After 223 days from the November 22, 2023, legislative elections, the successor to Mark Rutte, who, after nearly 14 years as prime minister of the Netherlands, is ready to assume the post of NATO secretary-general in October, officially took office. “I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership for the good of the Netherlands and Europe,” the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, congratulated the new Premier with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, following suit.

What happened in the last election in the Netherlands

According to the results of the November 22, 2023 elections, the far-right PVV party recorded the most convincing electoral test in its history, becoming the first force in Parliament and claiming the leadership of the Netherlands: with 23.5 percent of the vote, it was 8 percentage points ahead of the coalition between the Labor Party and the Green Left GroenLinks, led by the former head for the European Green Deal in the EU Commission, Frans Timmermans. Despite the increase in the number of votes (+4.7 percent) compared to the last election in 2021 – when the two forces ran divided – the red-green coalition stopped in second place with 25 seats, behind the PVV’s 37.

Third place went to the center-right of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (which, despite its name, is not part of the European People’s Party family but of the Liberals of Renew Europe), with a 6.7 percentage point drop and 10 fewer seats at the Tweede Kamer (from 34 to 24); same fate for the Liberals of Democraten 66 (from 24 to 9 seats) and the Christian Democrats of Christian Democratic Appeal (from 15 to 5). There was a feat for the new center-right New Social Contract formation, which placed fourth with 12.8 percent and 20 seats. Also noteworthy was the advance of the County Civic Movement – a populist party that advocates farmers’ interests – with 7 seats (+6 from last term).