Outgoing PM Dick Schoof reflects after final Cabinet meeting; Collapse was inevitable

After his final Cabinet meeting, outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof acknowledged that he had long expected his government would not complete its full term. “Cabinets in the Netherlands rarely make it all the way, and the situation was complicated,” he said. Reflecting on his time in office, Schoof said he has few regrets and would accept the role of prime minister again if given the chance.

The Schoof Cabinet fell in June 2025 after the PVV, led by Geert Wilders, withdrew its ministers over irreconcilable disagreements on asylum and migration policies, following months of internal coalition tensions. The coalition, PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, collapsed further when NSC also exited in August 2025, leaving the Cabinet as a demissionary (caretaker) government unable to make major policy decisions.

The outgoing prime minister said the coalition agreement between the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB showed “little affection.” He added that his Cabinet also struggled because the party leaders “were sparing in what they gave each other,” creating tensions throughout the government.

At the Cabinet meeting, Schoof said his ministers also offered him praise. They “thanked me for carrying out the role despite everything,” he recalled. “They appreciated the courage it took to lead during such a challenging period, and they repeatedly complimented my energy and morning smile that I brought to the office every day.”

Following the October 2025 snap election, the social-liberal D66, liberal-conservative VVD, and Christian-democratic CDA have formed a rare minority Cabinet. Scheduled to be sworn in on February 23, 2026, the new government will be led by Rob Jetten (D66), who would become the Netherlands' youngest-ever Prime Minister.

VVD ministers Sophie Hermans and Vincent Karremans welcomed the fact that the next prime minister will have a party backing them. Karremans, who oversees Economic Affairs, noted that the current Cabinet’s experiment with a non-partisan prime minister proved challenging for Schoof.

Ahead of the Cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hermans emphasized the importance of having strong ties to a political party in parliament. She acknowledged, however, that the arrangement was the only viable option following the last elections. Coalition talks had concluded that all party leaders would continue serving in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

Karremans commented that having party support makes the prime minister’s job much easier. "Dick faced a tough situation without a party behind him. It’s always better to have that backing,” he said.