The Schoof Cabinet has fallen: what now?
In the media image: Element5 Digital via Unsplash
Dutch talkshow ‘Vier Avonden op Rij’ focused on the fall of the Schoof Cabinet, caused by PVV leader Geert Wilders withdrawing from the coalition. Wim Voermans, Professor of Constitutional Law, called the fall of the cabinet 'dramatic'.
Voermans disagrees with the suggestion that the Schoof cabinet was an extra-parliamentary cabinet: 'absolutely not the case'; this was a traditional majority cabinet. According to the professor, the last truly extra-parliamentary cabinet was in 1883, the Heemskerk-Azn cabinet. 'Since then, the parliamentary system as we know it now has existed, where a cabinet can only remain in office with the support of a majority in the House of Representatives, according to what is known as the confidence rule.’
The question now is to what extent a caretaker cabinet can still get important policy dossiers through the House of Representatives? There are serious concerns that important dossiers – such as housing, asylum, healthcare, nitrogen emissions, purchasing power, education and international security – will come to a standstill for an even longer period of time.
In the broadcast, Voermans also highlighted some unique characteristics of the Dutch political system. For example, parties with only one seat in the House can still be of decisive importance, 'something that’s hardly comprehensible outside the Netherlands.' He underlined the importance of continuing to vote, even if people are disillusioned about politics. It is precisely this great diversity of parties that makes our democracy special, even though this often makes it problematic when it comes to forming a coalition. But the system only works if citizens remain actively involved. New elections – expected in October – are now on the horizon.