Fragile Dutch government teeters as minister resigns and Geert Wilders rages
Leaders of the Netherlands' four governing parties are set to hold urgent talks Friday as turmoil builds in The Hague over response to football violence.
A junior minister in the Dutch Cabinet resigned Friday as the coalition government was rocked by political fallout from last week’s violent clashes involving locals and Israeli football fans in Amsterdam.
Nora Achahbar, a state secretary in the finance ministry from the centrist New Social Contract (NSC) party, told her colleagues she was quitting over alleged racist comments made by other ministers during a cabinet meeting Monday to discuss the violence in the Dutch capital, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS. She has yet to release a public statement.
The four governing parties and Prime Minister Dick Schoof have blamed migrants, specifically Arabs and Muslims, for assaulting supporters of Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv after a Europa League match against Dutch team Ajax last Thursday night. Achahbar is of Moroccan descent.
The Netherlands’ government has been comprised of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), the center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) and the NSC since July.
But the coalition has been beset by infighting over how to respond to the Amsterdam clashes, with anti-immigrant PVV leader Geert Wilders — who was kingmaker after his party stormed to victory at last November’s elections but is not himself part of the Dutch government — repeatedly venting his fury at the cabinet. Wilders has taken to social media to demand tougher measures against antisemitism, attacking the prime minister and justice minister personally for what he viewed as their tepid response.
Tensions had risen earlier in the day of the match when some Maccabi fans tore down Palestinian flags in the Amsterdam city center and chanted anti-Arab slogans, the acting police chief said last week. Ten Israeli fans were also arrested the day before the game.
While PVV, VVD and BBB have all backed a plan to strip the perpetrators of the anti-Israeli violence of their Dutch citizenship, the more moderate NSC has declined to say whether it supports such a measure.
Other ministers from the NSC party, including Interior Minister Judith Uitermark, are reportedly considering resigning. The leaders of PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB are set to hold a crisis meeting Friday evening at the prime minister’s residence, according to NOS.
“It is entirely right that Achahbar draws a line and resigns. In this Cabinet, racist statements are the order of the day,” said Frans Timmermans, leader of the opposition Labor-Green alliance.
“Cabinet in chaos. It is commendable that Achahbar stands her ground,” said D66 leader Rob Jetten, adding that the details of the cabinet meeting Monday should be made public.
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