THE Netherlands will go to the polls on November 22 to elect a new parliament following the collapse of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government a week ago, the outgoing cabinet announced today.

“Lower house elections will be held on Wednesday, November 22. This was decided by the cabinet on the recommendation of Interior Minister Bruins Slot,” Rutte’s cabinet said in a statement.

Rutte’s four-party coalition caved in last Friday after a row over the Dutch leader’s plans to tighten curbs on reuniting families with asylum seekers.

The smallest coalition partner, the ChristenUnie – a Christian Democratic party that draws its main support from the staunchly Protestant “Bible Belt” in the central Netherlands – and centre-left D66 had strongly opposed Rutte’s plan.

“In choosing this date, the preparation time for political parties, the feasibility for municipalities and the preparations by the Electoral Council were taken into account,” the cabinet said.

Rutte himself said he would be leaving politics in the wake of the collapse, after 13 years at the helm of the government. – AFP, July 14, 2023.