Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s government prevented a crisis on Friday after a junior minister resigned due to perceived racist remarks by cabinet colleagues. The coalition government will remain in place.
Deputy Finance Minister Nora Achahbar resigned on Friday following turmoil in the country over attacks on Israeli football fans last week after a match between local club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Achahbar decided to quit the government after a stormy cabinet meeting that discussed the riots on the streets of Amsterdam.
The polarising interactions of the past weeks made such an impact on me that I am no longer able to effectively carry out my duties as deputy minister, Achahbar said in her resignation letter to parliament on Friday.
The resignation may have encouraged other members of the NSC party (the junior partner in the four-party coalition government) to follow suit. Although the resignation came “unexpectedly and impacted me and other cabinet members,” Schoof said, adding “there has never been any racism in my government or in the coalition parties.”
Coalition party leaders gathered in The Hague for an emergency session on Friday evening to discuss the current crisis, with the NSC acting leader, Nicolien van Vroonhoven, saying beforehand “we will see” if her party wanted to continue in the government coalition. In the end, Schoof, after a five-hour emergency meeting with coalition partners at his official residence in The Hague, said party leaders resolved to continue working together, averting the potential downfall of his government, which has lasted less than five months.
“Nora Achahbar has decided not to continue as deputy minister. But as the cabinet we decided to continue together.”
The public broadcaster NOS, however, stated that on Monday, during the cabinet meeting to discuss the attacks, “things reportedly got heated, and in Achahbar’s opinion racist statements were made.” The broadcaster added that “Achahbar reportedly indicated then that she, as a minister, had objections to certain language used by her colleagues.”
Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) won a majority of seats in Dutch elections a year ago. The ruling coalition led by Schoof holds 88 seats in parliament between the NDP, the PVV, the VVD and the farmer-friendly BBB party. The coalition may lose its majority if the NSC leaves the government. He said the perpetrators of the violence were “all Muslims” and “for the most part Moroccans” and urged the attackers to be held accountable “for terrorism.”
Dutch authorities also reported that Maccabi fans set fire to a Palestinian flag before the match, chanted anti-Arab slurs and vandalised a taxi.
Police launched an extensive investigation into the incident after the incident, which came amid heightened tensions and polarisation in Europe following a rise in anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli and Islamophobic attacks since the start of the Gaza war.
