Dutch PM resigns over differences in coalition on migration policy

Longest-serving Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned over the weekend following "irreconcilable differences" among his four-party coalition government on the country's migration policy, but he indicated he would contest election again.

Rutte, 56, announced his resignation on Friday and met on Saturday with King Willem-Alexander, who was reportedly flying back from a vacation in Greece for the meeting.

Rutte declined to answer reporters' questions as he drove away from the meeting that lasted over an hour, saying the talks with the monarch were private.

"It is no secret that the coalition partners have very different views on migration policy," Rutte told a news conference in The Hague on Friday, after intensive coalition party meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.

"And today, unfortunately, we have to draw the conclusion that those differences are irreconcilable. That is why I will immediately… offer the resignation of the entire cabinet to the king in writing."

Rutte and his cabinet will remain in office as caretaker government until the next general election, which could take place as early as November.

The coalition government, formed just 18 months ago, includes D66 and Christian Union which do not support a strict crackdown on migration, while Rutte's center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Christian Democrats favor stricter measures.

Rutte's coalition has tried for months to reach a deal to reduce the number of new migrants arriving in the country. Proposals included setting up a two-tier classification system for asylum, a temporary one for people fleeing conflicts and a permanent one for people trying to escape persecution. They also aim to reduce the number of family members who are allowed to join asylum-seekers in the country.

Rutte reportedly demanded that the number of relatives of war refugees allowed into the country be capped at 200 per month.

Pieter Heerma, the leader of the Christian Democrats, called Rutte's approach in the talks "almost reckless".

"Quick elections now," Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom, said in a tweet.

Migration has been one of the toughest issues facing many European Union member states and was top on the agenda at the EU summit in Brussels 10 days ago.

Asylum applications in the Netherlands soared for the third year in 2022 to over 46,000 and are expected to exceed 70,000 this year, higher than the 2015 record.

The just collapsed cabinet was Rutte's fourth coalition since he first took office in 2010. He expressed that he had the "energy" to stand for a fifth term but that he had to "reflect" first.

Agencies contributed to this story.

chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn