The Netherlands is gearing up for national elections likely to be held in the fall, following the recent collapse of the government. This marks the third cabinet fall in the past five years, prompting calls for swift action to organize new elections.
While the Electoral Council suggests October 29 as a suitable date, all political factions agree that the country cannot afford to delay the process unnecessarily. The House of Representatives debated the cabinet’s fall on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for timely elections.
According to the Electoral Law, there must be a period of at least forty days and a maximum of three months between the decision to dissolve the House of Representatives and the new elections. This timeframe is crucial for registration and preparation.
The Electoral Council has advised that October 29 would be the most appropriate date, taking into account the statutory preparation period. The council indicated that October 8 would be the earliest possible option, but various procedures would then occur during vacation periods.
The entire House of Representatives is urging outgoing Minister Judith Uitermark (Interior Affairs) and the municipalities to expedite the election preparations as much as possible. A motion adopted by GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans calls on the outgoing cabinet to provide municipalities with adequate financial resources to address any obstacles that could cause delays.
Minister Uitermark is expected to announce the exact election date soon, after consulting with municipalities about their preparation needs.
Despite being an outgoing cabinet, the government will continue to work on several critical issues. It is customary for an outgoing cabinet to exercise restraint when it comes to proposals for new policy. The House will determine which files are considered controversial and which can be addressed by the outgoing cabinet.
Outgoing Prime Minister Schoof has requested the House’s approval to continue support for Ukraine, defense investments, decisions related to the potential trade war with the United States, the benefits recovery operation, and handling damages in the Groningen gas extraction area.
The House has also added the asylum file to the list of issues to be addressed. PVV leader Geert Wilders stated that he would support the yet-to-be-appointed successor to asylum minister Marjolein Faber (PVV) in developing asylum laws.
With support from VVD, NSC, and BBB, the asylum file will not be declared controversial, allowing work on it to continue. CDA and SGP also support this decision. The House of Representatives is likely to discuss the asylum laws before the summer.
Furthermore, Schoof will be given the space to continue the work of the ministerial committee on Nitrogen, which has been seeking a breakthrough on the nitrogen issue.