Mistrust growing in Dutch Cabinet; Schoof's hard-held unity starting to fall apart

Distrust is growing within the Schoof I Cabinet, Nieuwsuur reported after speaking to over 20 people involved in and around the Cabinet. Since early last month, Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s hard-won and held-onto unity has been falling apart.

The turning point was in early March, when Schoof announced 3.5 billion euros in support of Ukraine after consulting with VVD Finance Minister Eelco Heinen, but not with the PVV, NSC, and BBB, the sources said. Now, there is growing annoyance about Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber (PVV). Nitrogen Minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) is accused of obstructing measures she doesn’t want to deal with. And Heinen is accused of party-bias.

Nieuwsuur’s sources called Faber the “weakest link,” with Cabinet members believing she does too little to get the new asylum laws through parliament. “Sitting back and waiting for pressure from Geert [Wilders] is not enough,” a fellow Cabinet member said. A Minister added: “She is explained every time how to tackle something, but she doesn’t get it.” Another said his “toes curl” when he listens to her in the weekly Cabinet meeting. Faber’s refusal to award Royal medals to asylum volunteers only added fuel to that fire.

Difficult relations between the coalition parties are nothing new. Party leaders Geert Wilders (PVV), Dilan Yeşilgöz (VVD), Pieter Omtzigt (NSC), and Caroline van der Plas (BBB) have been bickering since the formation phase. But until early March, Schoof had been able to force unity in his Cabinet through team-building exercises and game nights, among other things, according to Nieuwsuur. The promised support for Ukraine was the tipping point.

Several Ministers suspect that the non-partisan Schoof is chumming up to the VVD, according to the program, resulting in Heinen no longer being seen as an independent Minister of Finance. That will likely complicate negotiations for the Spring Memorandum, the spring update to the national budget, in the coming weeks. Coalition parties have long wish lists, while Heinen is stressing frugality. “He just gave away 3.5 billion and I have to negotiate with him about every million,” one frustrated Minister said.

The nitrogen file is also causing relations in the Cabinet to deteriorate. Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) gave an interview to the Telegraaf in mid-February outlining her nitrogen plan, while her coalition partners felt it was far from ready. A fellow Minister accused Wiersma of withholding official documents and delaying measures that she does not want to deal with, including buying out farmers. “Femke is obstructing, she is withholding nitrogen measures. As a result, valuable time is being lost,” the Minister said.

Nieuwsuur asked the accused Ministers for a response. Heinen and Wiersma replied.

Wiersma denied that she is withholding nitrogen measures. “We are coming out of a phase in which all options were on the table. Now every Minister, for every sector, has made a selection for the political discussion. I don’t find that easy, that’s true,” she said, but called it “nonsense” that she was withholding anything.

Heinen said he “regrets” that his colleagues felt taken by surprise by the support for Ukraine. He stressed that the continuation of support for Ukraine was agreed upon in the coalition agreement that forms the base of the Schoof I Cabinet.