Three months after Dutch voters ousted the far-right party of Geert Wilders, the Netherlands is about to have a new government. But it may not bring the stability that politicians have promised and voters seem to crave.
A coalition of three political parties — led by a 38-year-old centrist, Rob Jetten — presented its governing agreement on Friday in The Hague. It outlines bold proposals for some of the Netherlands’ biggest issues, like reducing the influx of asylum seekers, spending more on national security and building affordable housing.
“We have big ambitions,” said Mr. Jetten, who is poised to become the youngest prime minister in Dutch history. He ran on a campaign of optimism, decrying what he called the “negativism” of Mr. Wilders, a populist known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigration views.
Mr. Jetten’s party, D66, which is socially progressive with a centrist economic policy, formed the governing coalition with the centrist Christian Democratic Appeal party and the center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy. Together, the parties have 66 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives — 10 short of a majority.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Mr. Jetten said, “this will be a collaborative cabinet.”
Because it’s nearly impossible for a single party to win an outright majority in the Netherlands’ fractured system, lawmakers have to form a coalition, which can take months. But even in this country’s culture of consensus, a minority government like the one Mr. Jetten will lead is a rarity.
It means the governing parties will have to work with opposition leaders in the House to pass any bill. That could pose a significant hurdle to the coalition’s ambitious plans.
But in some ways, it can also offer opportunities, said Simon Otjes, an assistant professor of Dutch politics at Leiden University. “Now, sometimes the cabinet can look to the left, and other times it can look to the right,” he said.
Mr. Jetten’s next task is to appoint officials to fill his new cabinet. The king will swear in the new government next month.
The new coalition sidelines Mr. Wilders and his Party for Freedom, which handily won more House seats than any other party in national elections in 2023. Mr. Wilders has said that he will not negotiate with the new government. Before the vote in October, the leaders of the parties now in the coalition ruled out governing with Mr. Wilders.
Claire Moses is a Times reporter in London, focused on coverage of breaking and trending news.
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