Geert Wilders, the right-wing leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, has threatened to pull out of the ruling coalition and push for early elections if a strict asylum bill is not passed. His warning follows a contentious recommendation from an advisory body against submitting the legislation to parliament.
The Dutch Council of State’s advisory body has criticized the bill, with the country’s highest advisory authority concluding that the draft law is both imprecise and unlikely to achieve its intended goals. Despite this, the Dutch government—comprising the right-wing Freedom Party, the Party for Freedom and Democracy, the Peasant Movement, and the Social Contract Party—remains committed to the legislation, which aims to curb the number of migrants and refugees in the Netherlands.
The advisory body of the Dutch Council of State warned that the bill is “unlikely to reduce the number of asylum seekers and would instead increase pressure on immigration officials and the courts.” The council, which provides legal guidance to the government, also advised against submitting the bill to parliament in its current form.
Wilders slammed the court’s opinion, calling its members “unelected bureaucrats.” As leader of the Party for Freedom, he holds significant sway within the ruling coalition and could follow through on his threat to trigger new elections by withdrawing his party’s support. Emphasizing urgency, Wilders insisted, “The bill must be submitted quickly and without change.” He warned, “No further changes—otherwise, the voters may have their say.”
The leader of the Party for Freedom has repeatedly warned of a potential political crisis if the governing coalition fails to enforce the government’s proposed immigration laws. In October 2024, Wilders also attempted to declare a state of emergency across the Netherlands, seeking to implement strict immigration measures without parliamentary approval.
The Council of State’s decision has once again sparked controversy within the governing coalition parties. Although Prime Minister Dick Schoof has not commented on the advisory opinion, he indicated a few days ago that the advisory opinions of the advisory body must always be taken seriously.
Diederik Boomsma, a member of the National Security Council and the Social Contract Party—part of the ruling coalition—suggested that the bill could still be amended. This statement provoked Wilders, who warned that it was “playing with fire,” especially after all four coalition parties had previously agreed to tighten asylum regulations and limit the right to appeal in asylum cases.
Political parties and civil society organizations are closely following developments, awaiting the cabinet’s decision on whether the bill will be submitted for approval or postponed for revisions.
