Caretaker cabinet moves to fill PVV vacancies as Trump reportedly backs Wilders

The caretaker Dutch cabinet is holding an urgent meeting Thursday to address the political vacuum left by the sudden resignation of nine PVV ministers and state secretaries, as U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly backed PVV leader Geert Wilders for defending Dutch “sovereignty and national identity.”

The departure of PVV appointees has left several ministries without political leadership. According to government sources cited by NOS, it is not feasible for the remaining caretaker ministers and state secretaries from the VVD, Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC), and BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) to handle all ongoing portfolios and responsibilities alone.

The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, includes outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof, the deputy prime ministers, and the leaders of the remaining coalition factions. Together, they will determine how to temporarily fill the ministerial and state secretary vacancies left by Wilders’s party. Several substitute ministers are also expected to be appointed.

The collapse of the right-wing coalition government has intensified pressure on the Tweede Kamer to hold early elections. However, the Dutch Electoral Council (Kiesraad) has stated that it is not legally or logistically possible to organize national elections before October 29. Municipalities across the Netherlands must now begin preparations, including recruiting volunteers to staff polling stations.

The political crisis in the Netherlands has drawn international attention, including from the United States. A senior White House official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the Trump administration supports Wilders. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the president backs leaders “who protect their sovereignty and national identity.”

“The Netherlands, like many other European countries, faces serious threats linked to open-border policies and illegal migration,” the official reportedly said. “Leaders who put their citizens first and work to secure their country’s future deserve praise.”

According to the source, Trump’s message to Europe is clear: governments must strengthen their borders and crack down on illegal migration, “just as we are doing here in the United States.”

Trump is scheduled to visit the Netherlands later this month to attend the NATO summit in The Hague. In recent months, members of his administration have also expressed support for other right-wing populist leaders in Europe, including Marine Le Pen in France and the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany.

In the meantime, King Willem-Alexander ended his two-day state visit to the Czech Republic early Wednesday due to the political crisis unfolding in the Netherlands, while Queen Máxima stayed to complete the official visit Thursday, AD reported.

The royal couple arrived Tuesday evening at Václav Havel Airport in Prague, invited by Czech President Petr Pavel for a formal two-day state visit. Shortly after landing, the king acknowledged the unusual timing of the trip given the sudden fall of the Dutch cabinet earlier that day.

“It is actually very strange to leave the Netherlands during a political crisis,” Willem-Alexander said upon arrival. However, he stressed the importance of maintaining the visit. “In this time of geopolitical tension, it is crucial to meet and greet our NATO and EU partner, the Czech Republic, in this manner,” the king said.

Despite this, the king decided to return to the Netherlands after the first day to attend to the crisis, leaving Queen Máxima to continue the visit alone on Thursday. Demissionary Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp accompanied the royal couple on the trip.

PVV Minister Dirk Beljaarts, who resigned as part of the cabinet collapse, did not participate in the visit. His place in the delegation was taken by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.