In the Netherlands, far-right leader Geert Wilders announces his withdrawal from the government coalition

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders withdrew his PVV party from the governing coalition on Tuesday, June 3, over disagreements over immigration, paving the way for early elections in the Netherlands.

"No signatures for our asylum plan... PVV leaves the coalition," Wilders wrote on the social network X, referring to his program aimed at toughening policy towards immigrants and asylum seekers.

Geert Wilders believes the government is taking too long to implement the "strictest immigration policy ever seen" in the Netherlands, which was sought by the coalition formed after his party's surprise election victory in November 2023. This withdrawal opens a period of political uncertainty in the European Union's fifth-largest economy and largest exporter, as far-right parties gain ground across the continent.

Eighteen months after his victory, polls indicate that Geert Wilders's Freedom Party remains the strongest party in the country. The gap with his closest rivals has narrowed, however. His party is closely followed by the Greens and Social Democrats alliance of former European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. The liberal VVD, traditionally a major player in Dutch politics, also ranks high, meaning any election would likely be closely contested.

At the end of May, Geert Wilders called an impromptu press conference to announce that his patience with Prime Minister Dick Schoof's government was "at an end." He was already threatening to torpedo the coalition if a new ten-point plan to limit immigration was not implemented in the coming weeks.

His plan called for closing the borders to asylum seekers, tightening border controls, and deporting dual nationals convicted of crimes. Political and legal experts immediately dismissed these plans as impractical or illegal, with some suggesting Wilders was creating a crisis to bring down the government.

The far-right leader has often been dubbed the "Dutch Trump" because of his anti-immigrant views and distinctive platinum blonde hairstyle.

Far-right parties are on the rise across Europe. In May, the far-right Chega (“Enough”) party came second in the Portuguese elections. In Germany, the far-right, anti-immigration AfD party doubled its vote in the February parliamentary elections, reaching 20.8%.

Updated at 10:42 a.m. with more details.