The new Government of the Netherlands has been sworn in more than seven months after an election in which a far-right party with harsh anti-Islamic rhetoric won. On the streets of Amsterdam, the inauguration has been greeted with uncertainty.
For the first time in 14 years, Netherlands has a new prime minister. King William Alexander took the oath of office this Tuesday to the new Government. Dick Schoof was formally inaugurated along with 15 other ministers who form the country’s conservative coalition, with a strong weight of the extreme rightwhich is done with five ministries.
The road to power has been long and difficult, with enormous political disputes between the four games of the coalition. Schoof was the fifth person to be nominated for the post of prime minister, after opposition from other coalition partners prevented the controversial far-right leader Geert Wilders from assuming it.
In the streets of Amsterdamthe inauguration of the new Government has been received with uncertainty.
Marike van der Velden, associate professor of Political Communication at the Free University of Amsterdam, said: “People are excited because there is a cabinet after 221 days of negotiations, but at the same time there is a bit of uncertainty around this cabinet, as it is based on a six-page framework that will be developed over the summer and only then will it be known what these ministers will do in terms of policies for the Netherlands in the next four years.
Also worrying how long will he stay in power this coalition government, with a technocratic leader who many consider indebted to Geert Wilders and three parties joining the cabinet for the first time.
Anti-Islamic rhetoric
The new coalition has received criticism for its anti-islamic rhetoric y anti-immigration. The formal agreement creating the new coalition, titled “Hope, Courage and Pride,” introduces strict measures on asylum seekers, abolishes family reunification of refugees and aims to reduce the number of international students studying in the country.
A group of protesters gathered at the Huis ten Bosch palace during the investiture ceremony. However, polls show that the 42% of Dutch people trust the Government, compared to 29% two years ago. The new Executive will present all its plans and budget in September.
