Far-right leader Geert Wilders brought down the Dutch government Tuesday by pulling out of a shaky coalition in a row over immigration, sparking a political crisis and likely heralding fresh elections.The withdrawal came just weeks before a NATO summit in the Netherlands, and ushered in a period of uncertainty for the European Union's fifth-largest economy and major exporter.After a stormy last-ditch meeting aimed at salvaging the four-party coalition, Wilders emerged to say he had no choice but to pull his ministers out of the cabinet."I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not for the downfall of the Netherlands," said Wilders, 61, whose far-right Freedom Party (PVV) handily won elections in November 2023.Prime Minister Dick Schoof described the decision as "unnecessary and irresponsible" and said he would offer the resignation of the PVV ministers to King Willem-Alexander."I will continue as a caretaker... until a new cabinet is in place. Because life in the Netherlands and abroad does go on," he told reporters.Wilders had agreed with coalition partners to push through what he called the "strictest-ever immigration policy", but he has since said the pace of its introduction had been too slow.Eighteen months after that surprise election victory sent shockwaves through Europe, polls suggest his PVV is still the strongest party.However, the gap to his nearest rivals has narrowed, with the Green/Left party of former European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans following close behind.The liberal VVD party, a traditional powerhouse in Dutch politics, is also running near the top two, meaning any election would likely be closely fought.VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz, visibly angry, described Wilders' move as "super irresponsible", adding she was afraid it would open the door to left-wing parties."How can you do this to the Netherlands," she asked.Any elections would likely be held after the summer break, Sarah de Lange, professor of political pluralism at the University of Amsterdam, told AFP."New elections are likely, but in the Netherlands, organising them takes almost three months. Snap elections in the Netherlands are not as quick as in other countries," she said.- 'Patience has run out' - In late May, Wilders called an impromptu press conference to announce his "patience has now run out" with Schoof's government.He threatened to torpedo the coalition if a new 10-point plan to crimp immigration was not implemented within a few weeks.His plan included border closures for asylum seekers, tougher border controls in general and deporting dual nationals convicted of a crime.Political and legal experts criticised the plans as unworkable or illegal, with some suggesting Wilders was creating a crisis to collapse the government.The far-right leader has often been called the "Dutch Trump" for his anti-immigrant views and instantly recognisable bouffant hairstyle.His ambitions to lead his country were frustrated after his election win, as his coalition partners blocked his premiership bid, settling instead on Schoof as a compromise candidate.The leaders of the four coalition partners agreed not to take up cabinet positions, instead running their parties as parliamentary chiefs.Wilders has been an uncompromising figure in parliament, his quick-witted jousting with Timmermans being a highlight of debates.He has frequently said that the only way to implement his anti-immigrant policies is for him to become prime minister.However, in the fractured Dutch political system, no party can win an absolute majority in the 150-seat parliament and Wilders will need partners.He can count on the support of the BBB farmers' party. The backing of the VVD -- currently an uneasy coalition partner -- is less certain.The fourth party in the current coalition -- the anti-corruption New Social Contract -- has seen support collapse since charismatic leader Pieter Omtzigt stepped down.Far-right parties have been on the rise across Europe. In May, the far-right Chega ("Enough") party took second place in Portuguese elections.In Germany, the anti-immigration far-right AfD doubled its score in legislative elections in February, reaching 20.8 percent.And in Britain, polls show the anti-immigration, hard-right Reform UK party of Nigel Farage is making significant gains following a breakthrough in local elections.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

After a stormy last-ditch meeting aimed at salvaging the four-party coalition, Wilders emerged to say he had no choice but to pull his ministers out of the cabinet.

Far-right leader Geert Wilders brought down the Dutch government Tuesday by pulling out of a shaky coalition in a row over immigration, sparking a political crisis and likely heralding fresh elections. The withdrawal came just weeks before a NATO summit in the Netherlands, and ushered in a period of uncertainty for the European Union's fifth-largest economy and major exporter. After a stormy last-ditch meeting aimed at salvaging the four-party coalition, Wilders emerged to say he had no choice but to pull his ministers out of the cabinet. "I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not for the downfall of the Netherlands," said Wilders, 61, whose far-right Freedom Party (PVV) handily won elections in November 2023. Prime Minister Dick Schoof described the decision as "unnecessary and irresponsible" and said he would offer the resignation of the PVV ministers to King Willem-Alexander. "I will continue as a caretaker... until a new cabinet is in place. Because life in the Netherlands and abroad does go on," he told reporters. Wilders had agreed with coalition partners to push through what he called the "strictest-ever immigration policy", but he has since said the pace of its introduction had been too slow. Eighteen months after that surprise election victory sent shockwaves through Europe, polls suggest his PVV is still the strongest party. However, the gap to his nearest rivals has narrowed, with the Green/Left party of former European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans following close behind. The liberal VVD party, a traditional powerhouse in Dutch politics, is also running near the top two, meaning any election would likely be closely fought. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz, visibly angry, described Wilders' move as "super irresponsible", adding she was afraid it would open the door to left-wing parties. "How can you do this to the Netherlands," she asked. Any elections would likely be held after the summer break, Sarah de Lange, professor of political pluralism at the University of Amsterdam, told AFP. "New elections are likely, but in the Netherlands, organising them takes almost three months. Snap elections in the Netherlands are not as quick as in other countries," she said. - 'Patience has run out' - In late May, Wilders called an impromptu press conference to announce his "patience has now run out" with Schoof's government. He threatened to torpedo the coalition if a new 10-point plan to crimp immigration was not implemented within a few weeks. His plan included border closures for asylum seekers, tougher border controls in general and deporting dual nationals convicted of a crime. Political and legal experts criticised the plans as unworkable or illegal, with some suggesting Wilders was creating a crisis to collapse the government. The far-right leader has often been called the "Dutch Trump" for his anti-immigrant views and instantly recognisable bouffant hairstyle. His ambitions to lead his country were frustrated after his election win, as his coalition partners blocked his premiership bid, settling instead on Schoof as a compromise candidate. The leaders of the four coalition partners agreed not to take up cabinet positions, instead running their parties as parliamentary chiefs. Wilders has been an uncompromising figure in parliament, his quick-witted jousting with Timmermans being a highlight of debates. He has frequently said that the only way to implement his anti-immigrant policies is for him to become prime minister. However, in the fractured Dutch political system, no party can win an absolute majority in the 150-seat parliament and Wilders will need partners. He can count on the support of the BBB farmers' party. The backing of the VVD -- currently an uneasy coalition partner -- is less certain. The fourth party in the current coalition -- the anti-corruption New Social Contract -- has seen support collapse since charismatic leader Pieter Omtzigt stepped down. Far-right parties have been on the rise across Europe. In May, the far-right Chega ("Enough") party took second place in Portuguese elections. In Germany, the anti-immigration far-right AfD doubled its score in legislative elections in February, reaching 20.8 percent. And in Britain, polls show the anti-immigration, hard-right Reform UK party of Nigel Farage is making significant gains following a breakthrough in local elections. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

After a stormy last-ditch meeting aimed at salvaging the four-party coalition, Wilders emerged to say he had no choice but to pull his ministers out of the cabinet.

Dutch government collapses after far-right leader Wilders exits coalition

Sharmishta Panoli, a Social media influencer was arrested by the Kolkata police from Gurugram in Haryana on Friday (May 30) night. The arrest was made for allegedly uploading a video on social media that had communal overtones. In the video that went viral, Panoli allegedly made communal remarks while accusing Bollywood actors of remaining silent on Operation Sindoor. According to the police, her video “derogatory and disrespectful" in nature was aimed at a particular religious community. Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, has said the influencer's arrest is a "disgrace for freedom of speech" and has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure she is freed.&nbsp;"Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It's a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don't punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi," Wilders said in a post on X. The photo with the post read, “All eyes on Sharmistha.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It’s a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don’t punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/AmyMek?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmyMek</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sharmishta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sharmishta</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IStandwithSharmishta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IStandwithSharmishta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReleaseSharmistha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReleaseSharmistha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeSharmishta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeSharmishta</a> <a href="https://t.co/YhGSLhuyr2">pic.twitter.com/YhGSLhuyr2</a>&mdash; Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) <a href="https://twitter.com/geertwilderspvv/status/1928899909043765424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Who is Sharmishta Panoli?Sharmishtha Panoli is 22 years of age and studies law at the Pune Law University. She has been active on social media for a while and has a strong following on her Instagram. Her public Instagram handle has over 93k followers.&nbsp;On 14 May 2025, she posted a video in response to a Pakistani social media user questioning India's position on the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people based on their religion.&nbsp;In the clip, that went viral Panoli criticised Bollywood celebrities for remaining silent on Operation Sindoor that India carried out against terror camps in Pakistan.&nbsp;After facing backlash Panoli deleted the video and wrote, “I do hereby tender my UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY. Whatever was put are my personal feelings and I never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody. So anybody is hurt, I'm sorry… Henceforth, I will be cautious in my public posts.”

Dutch MP Geert Wilders condemns arrest of Indian influencer Sharmistha Panoli, urges PM Modi to ensure she is freed

Sharmishta Panoli, a Social media influencer was arrested by the Kolkata police from Gurugram in Haryana on Friday (May 30) night. The arrest was made for allegedly uploading a video on social media that had communal overtones. In the video that went viral, Panoli allegedly made communal remarks while accusing Bollywood actors of remaining silent on Operation Sindoor. According to the police, her video “derogatory and disrespectful" in nature was aimed at a particular religious community. Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, has said the influencer's arrest is a "disgrace for freedom of speech" and has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure she is freed. "Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It's a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don't punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi," Wilders said in a post on X. The photo with the post read, “All eyes on Sharmistha.”

In the video that went viral, Panoli allegedly made communal remarks while accusing Bollywood actors of remaining silent on Operation Sindoor

Reacting to Britain&rsquo;s exit from the European Union (EU) on Friday, right-wing Members of Parliament (MP) in France and Netherland have also given a call for referendum.&nbsp; 
 
Hailing Britain&#39;s decision, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen took to micro blogging site to share her views. &quot;Victory for Freedom! As I have been asking for years we must now have the same referendum in France and EU countries,&quot; the National Front (FN) leader tweeted. 
 
The eurosceptic, anti-immigration FN has accused the EU of suffering a &quot;democratic deficit&quot; and has long urged all members of the bloc to follow Britain&#39;s example. 
 
The Brexit vote is likely to fire up eurosceptic populists across the bloc, with Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders also calling for an EU referendum in his own country following the result. 
 
Fears are high that a domino effect could see other countries following in Britain`s footsteps, threatening the core of the European project. 
 
&quot;France has possibly a thousand more reasons to want to leave the EU than the English,&quot; Le Pen said at a gathering of far-right parties in Vienna last Friday. 
 
Le Pen has accused the EU of pursuing closer integration &quot;against our will&quot;. 
 
She says the union is responsible for high eurozone unemployment and has failed to keep out &quot;smugglers, terrorists (and) economic migrants&quot;. 
 
Dutch far-right MP also calls for NExit&nbsp; 
Shortly after Britain voted for a Brexit, Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders called for the Netherlands to hold a referendum on whether to leave the EU.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on NExit, a Dutch EU exit,&quot; Wilders said in a statement. 
 
With 374 out of 382 regional results declared in Britain, there were 16.8 million votes for &quot;Leave&quot; and 15.7 million for &quot;Remain&quot;, making it mathematically impossible for &quot;Remain&quot; to win. 
 
&quot;We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy,&quot; Wilders said in a statement.&nbsp;If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide,&rdquo; he was quoted saying.&nbsp; 
 
The Netherlands, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, held a referendum earlier this year on whether to back closer cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. Turnout was low, but over 60 per cent voted against the deal. 
 
Elections are not due in the Netherlands until next year, but since last year polls have consistently shown support for the Freedom Party (PVV) climbing on the back of the refugee crisis.&nbsp; 
 
Although it is has slipped back in recent months, the last polls from May showed Wilders&#39; party would win the largest support gaining some 31 seats in the 150-seat party, more than doubling its current 15 seats. 
 
The statement sent by Wilders&#39; PVV said that recent polls showed a majority of Dutch people were in favour of holding a referendum, and that most would vote to leave. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Fears are high that a domino effect could see other countries following in Britain's footsteps, threatening the core of the European project

Reacting to Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) on Friday, right-wing Members of Parliament (MP) in France and Netherland have also given a call for referendum. Hailing Britain's decision, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen took to micro blogging site to share her views. "Victory for Freedom! As I have been asking for years we must now have the same referendum in France and EU countries," the National Front (FN) leader tweeted. The eurosceptic, anti-immigration FN has accused the EU of suffering a "democratic deficit" and has long urged all members of the bloc to follow Britain's example. The Brexit vote is likely to fire up eurosceptic populists across the bloc, with Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders also calling for an EU referendum in his own country following the result. Fears are high that a domino effect could see other countries following in Britain`s footsteps, threatening the core of the European project. "France has possibly a thousand more reasons to want to leave the EU than the English," Le Pen said at a gathering of far-right parties in Vienna last Friday. Le Pen has accused the EU of pursuing closer integration "against our will". She says the union is responsible for high eurozone unemployment and has failed to keep out "smugglers, terrorists (and) economic migrants". Dutch far-right MP also calls for NExit Shortly after Britain voted for a Brexit, Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders called for the Netherlands to hold a referendum on whether to leave the EU. "The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on NExit, a Dutch EU exit," Wilders said in a statement. With 374 out of 382 regional results declared in Britain, there were 16.8 million votes for "Leave" and 15.7 million for "Remain", making it mathematically impossible for "Remain" to win. "We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy," Wilders said in a statement. If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide,” he was quoted saying. The Netherlands, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, held a referendum earlier this year on whether to back closer cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. Turnout was low, but over 60 per cent voted against the deal. Elections are not due in the Netherlands until next year, but since last year polls have consistently shown support for the Freedom Party (PVV) climbing on the back of the refugee crisis. Although it is has slipped back in recent months, the last polls from May showed Wilders' party would win the largest support gaining some 31 seats in the 150-seat party, more than doubling its current 15 seats. The statement sent by Wilders' PVV said that recent polls showed a majority of Dutch people were in favour of holding a referendum, and that most would vote to leave. (AFP)

In wake of Brexit, right-wing MPs in France, Netherland call for referendum