Dutch PM Holds Crisis Talks to Prevent Coalition Collapse

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten will meet key coalition partners on Friday in an attempt to prevent his minority government from falling, just nine months after taking office.

The government is facing a major crisis following a dispute over tax policy, raising the possibility of early elections in the Netherlands, the European Union’s fifth-largest economy.

Jetten’s party, the centrist Democrats 66 (D66), formed a three-party coalition with the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the right-wing People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after narrowly winning the election.

However, months of negotiations over tax reforms resulted in an agreement between D66, CDA and the opposition left-wing PRO party, triggering strong objections from the VVD.

VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz, who also serves as defence minister, warned that the coalition would need a major restructuring if her partners proceeded with the agreement.

She accused the other parties of taking her side by surprise and argued that the proposal threatened the Netherlands’ political stability, economic growth and business environment.

“We have been blindsided by a proposal that, in our view, jeopardises the stability of the Netherlands, our economic growth and our business climate,” fumed Yesilgoz.

The tax agreement secured a narrow majority in parliament after a full day of debate on Thursday. 

However, the VVD voted against the government’s own proposal, exposing a major split within the coalition.

Jetten acknowledged that the government needed a fresh start and arranged meetings with Yesilgoz and a senior CDA representative for Friday morning to address the dispute.

The 39-year-old prime minister faces a difficult parliamentary situation, with his coalition controlling only 66 of the 150 seats in parliament. 

This leaves the government dependent on smaller parties and opposition lawmakers to secure support for legislation.

The Dutch parliament has 15 political parties, including groups representing specific interests such as older citizens and farmers. As a result, passing legislation often requires lengthy negotiations and compromises among parties.

A collapse of the government could trigger the Netherlands’ third election in three years. The country is a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and plays an influential role within the European Union (EU).

Recent opinion polls indicate that the left-wing PRO party, led by Jesse Klaver, would emerge ahead in a new election, followed by the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), headed by Geert Wilders.

Wilders, whose withdrawal from the previous government over immigration policy triggered the 2025 election, declared the current coalition effectively finished, arguing that its collapse was only a matter of time.