Wilders cannot simply dismiss PVV members of government
In the media image: Stefan Scheepmaker via Unsplash
Professor of Constitutional Law, Wim Voermans, is surprised by the decision of PVV ministers to resign at the request of party leader Geert Wilders. Voermans says in Mr. Online that Wilders 'has no constitutional authority to do so.'
Following the resignation of Freedom Party (PVV) ministers from the outgoing cabinet in the Netherlands, there is commotion about how this has proceeded. Geert Wilders had indicated that all PVV ministers and state secretaries would resign from their positions. In doing so, he seemed to take the lead in his party's departure from the outgoing cabinet. According to Voermans, however, that is not possible at all. 'Ministers and state secretaries decide for themselves whether to stay on or not. The only one who can dismiss them is the king,’ says Voermans in response to questions from the NOS and ANP.
The course of events surrounding Ingrid Coenradie, State Secretary for Justice and Security, therefore surprises Voermans. She initially seemed to want to stay on, but eventually changed her mind after pressure from Wilders.
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Read the full Mr. Online article (in Dutch)