Netherlands: A new government headed by the first intelligence man and its far-right ministers whose mission is to restrict immigration
The king received the government and sworn in members of the new government at the Royal Palace in The Hague, a wide-right government that has put on its agenda strict restrictions on immigration.
Former intelligence chief Dick Schoof was sworn in as the new Dutch prime minister on Tuesday, leading a broad right-wing coalition government, vowing to implement the country’s strictest immigration policy.
The 67-year-old independent took over from outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is set to become NATO’s next secretary-general later this year after 14 years in the post in The Hague.
The handover comes after more than seven months of lengthy negotiations following far-right leader Geert Wilders’ election victory last November.
Wilders was forced to abandon his ambition to become prime minister to keep the tense coalition talks on track.
His partners in the government considered his Islamophobic and Eurosceptic statements too extreme to lead the country.
Instead of nominating their leaders for prime minister, the four coalition partners – Wilders’ PVV (Freedom Party), Farmers Party (BBB), conservative liberal VVD and the new anti-corruption NSC party – agreed to compromise on Schoof, who previously ran the Dutch secret service.
Schoof vowed to implement the coalition’s plans decisively for the strictest asylum policy ever and the most comprehensive to control migration.
Wilders’ far-right party won five of the 15 ministerial positions in the new government, including trade and immigration.
