The Netherlands has a different prime minister for the first time in 14 years as Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in the country’s new government on Tuesday, more than seven months after elections.
Dick Schoof, former head of the Dutch intelligence agency and counterterrorism office, signed the official royal decree at Huis Ten Bosch Palace, saying he “declared and promised” to uphold his duties as the country’s prime minister.
The 67-year-old was formally installed alongside 15 other ministers who make up the country’s right-leaning coalition.
![Incoming Prime Minister Dick Schoof, left, arrives at the royal palace to be sworn in by Dutch King Willem-Alexander in The Hague, Netherlands](http://content.assets.pressassociation.io/AP/2024/07/02/f91318e729ff43e9883be28b37a4789e.jpg?w=640)
The anti-immigration, anti-Islam party of firebrand Geert Wilders won the largest share of seats in elections last year but it took 223 days to form a government.
The four parties in the coalition are Wilders’ Party for Freedom, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s centre-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, the populist Farmer Citizen Movement and the centrist New Social Contract party.
The formal agreement creating the new coalition, titled “Hope, courage and pride,” introduces strict measures on asylum-seekers, scraps family reunification for refugees and seeks to reduce the number of international students studying in the country.
![Dutch King Willem-Alexander meets with incoming Prime Minister Dick Schoof, right, in The Hague, Netherlands](http://content.assets.pressassociation.io/AP/2024/07/01/7bd381e52fb048649d496307822324fd.jpg?w=640)
Opposition from other coalition partners prevented the controversial Wilders from taking the prime minister’s job.
During the monthslong negotiations, he backpedalled on several of his most extreme views, including withdrawing draft legislation that would have banned mosques, Islamic schools and the Quran.
For the first time since the Second World War, the Netherlands is now led by a prime minister who is not aligned with a political party.
Before serving as chief of the country’s top intelligence agency, Mr Schoof was previously the counterterror chief and the head of the country’s Immigration and Naturalisation Service.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel