Cabinet crisis averted, but the situation might be bound to escalate

Dutch newspapers on Saturday morning devoted significant front-page coverage to the cabinet crisis narrowly averted late Friday night. “It’s bound to go wrong at some point, this collaboration between the far-right PVV and the self-proclaimed ‘center party’ New Social Contract,” Trouw wrote about the "fragile cabinet."

De Telegraaf led with the headline “Crisis Survived” on its front page. Above an article, the paper wrote, “Sparks Fly Again.” According to the paper, the crisis nearly escalated this time due to “the hunt on Jews in Amsterdam and the harsh words exchanged in the cabinet about it.” AD reported that “the long-smoldering tensions in the coalition suddenly erupted into a major conflagration.”

State Secretary Nora Achahbar (Finance, NSC) resigned on Friday. Reportedly, she could no longer tolerate harsh statements made in cabinet meetings about people with a migration background. That issue runs deep within the coalition, de Volkskrant reported: “The tone of the integration debate has been a sore point from the very beginning.” The paper reflected on the formation of the cabinet, noting, “NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt long refused to cooperate with the PVV, partly due to Wilders’ infamous 2014 ‘fewer Moroccans’ remarks, for which he has never apologized.”

NRC described this as “the most serious crisis yet” for the Schoof cabinet. During a Friday night press conference, the prime minister repeatedly emphasized that “there is no racism in this cabinet.” However, the precise content of the statements in question remains unclear. Insiders told the newspaper that Achahbar had already decided by Monday that she no longer wanted to remain in the cabinet. “The press release announcing State Secretary Achahbar’s resignation was prepared as early as Thursday,” NRC reported.