Royal Central - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has been forced to interrupt his vacation as the Dutch government has fallen.
The coalition parties were in disagreement over asylum policies, according to the now-former Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Mark Rutte’s VVD Party wanted to limit the flow of asylum seekers, while his junior coalition partners were opposed to his plan. The four parties were unable to come to an agreement during crisis talks held on Friday.
Mr Rutte told reporters, “All parties went to great lengths to find a solution, but the differences on migration are unfortunately impossible to bridge.” He is meeting with King Willem-Alexander to discuss forming a caretaker administration until new elections can be held.
He had informed the King in writing last night and offered the resignation of his cabinet. King Willem-Alexander arrived back in the Netherlands earlier today and welcomed Mark Rutte to Huis ten Bosch palace around 1 P.M. It is the second time during the King’s reign that a government has fallen. This was Mark Rutte’s third government, which fell in January 2021.
It was not announced where the King was returning from, but the absence of the royal standard on the roof of the palace indicated that the King was not on Dutch territory.