Dutch Cabinet quits after rift with far-right
NETHERLANDS: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's liberal government
resigned on Monday after the collapse of its parliamentary partnership
with a far-right party, paving the way for early elections.
The premier, who had been under pressure for weeks, tendered his
cabinet's resignation at a two-hour afternoon meeting with Queen Beatrix
at her Hague palace.
A few minutes after Rutte left the palace, the Dutch government's
information service said in a statement: “Prime Minister Mark Rutte has
offered to her Majesty the Queen the resignation of all ministers and
deputy ministers with immediate effect.” “The Queen is considering the
resignation, but has asked all ministers and deputy ministers to
continue to do everything that is necessary in the interests of the
kingdom,” the statement added.
The resignation had been widely expected since the weekend when Rutte
acknowledged that a rift with anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders'
Freedom Party would likely lead to early elections, otherwise due in May
2015.
Although not part of the ruling coalition, Wilders' party had
effectively guaranteed the government's majority for the last 18 months
by agreeing to support it in parliament.
That arrangement came to an abrupt halt at the weekend when talks on
a new package of austerity measures foundered.
A debate has now been scheduled for 2.00 pm (1200 GMT) on Tuesday
before the Lower House in which Rutte is expected to address MPs.
“The ball is now in parliament's court,” Finance Minister Jan Kees de
Jager told reporters, adding that he hoped to have “more clarity” on
Tuesday on the austerity package, for which Brussels gave an April 30
deadline.
Rutte's liberal VVD party, its coalition partner the Christian
Democrats and Wilders' Freedom Party had been negotiating on a
near-daily basis, in private, for seven weeks but divisions were made
public when Wilders walked out on Saturday.
The turmoil has raised fears that the Netherlands' gold plated triple
A credit rating could be in danger. It is one of only four eurozone
countries to still retain AAA status among the three main credit rating
agencies.
Rutte, Verhagen and Wilders had held near daily talks at the
premier's official Catshuis residence in a bid to reach agreement on how
to cut 16 billion euros (U$21 billion) from the budget, which stood at
4.7 percent of gross domestic product for 2011.
The EU's deficit ceiling is three percent of GDP. The talks had been
in their final stages when Wilders dropped his political bombshell and
the Dutch press said on Monday the country was still in shock. A visibly
upset Rutte told reporters Saturday: “I have to inform you today that
the three parties have failed to come to common answers.” Elections now
seemed likely, he added.
The austerity package at the centre of the row included a slight
raise in Value-Added Tax (VAT), a freeze on civil servants' wages and a
cut in spending in both the health and development aid sectors.
“The plan is not in the interest of (Freedom Party) voters,” Wilders
announced at a press conference, held at the same time on Saturday
afternoon. “We cannot live up to the demands Brussels is putting on us.
Money is being taken from the wallets of pensioners.” “We remain
confident that the Dutch government will continue its efforts to adopt
measures, not to please Brussels or win votes in an election, but
because this is beneficial to the country's economy and to its
citizens,” Amadeu Altafaj, spokesman for European Commissionner for
Economic and Financial Affairs Olli Rehn said in Brussels.
Rutte's government was sworn in in October 2010 following the fall of
the then prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende in February that year in a
dispute over continued military support to NATO forces in Afghanistan.
AFP
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