New coalition wants ‘strictest’ asylum policy in the Netherlands
Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders on Wednesday advocated for the "strictest" asylum policy ever in the Netherlands, acknowledging that it could take years to scrap EU asylum rules.
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In statements to the news agency France Presse after the agreement reached for a coalition, six months after his party won the elections, Wilders reported on the attempt to obtain "what is called an asylum waiver, as the Danes did", i.e. an agreement to exclude common asylum policies. "If we succeed, it could take years," admitted the official, adding that in the short term, the coalition will seek to use Dutch legislation to limit what he called the "influx of asylum seekers" to the Netherlands. "What we have in our agreement today is, in fact, the strictest anti-asylum [policy] ever implemented in the Netherlands," he admitted. The spokesman for the European Commission, Eric Mamer, has already expressed reservations, stating that "European legislation cannot be waived". "We are working on the basis of existing treaties and legislation," he said. This morning, after a marathon of negotiations, the leaders of four parties presented an agreement that defines the policy to be followed in the coming years, but it is not yet known who will be the prime minister of the fifth largest economy in the European Union (EU). The signatories of the agreement entitled "Hope, Courage and Pride" also agreed to consider moving the Dutch embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as desired by the Israeli authorities who moved their capital to this city. This is an even more sensitive issue due to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and avoided by most governments. "Taking into account the solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and diplomatic interests, we will analyze when the embassy can be transferred to Jerusalem, at the opportune moment," reads the 26-page document. As for foreign policy, the coalition guaranteed that it will be a "constructive partner" within the 27 and will support Ukraine "politically, militarily, financially and morally". The agreement also ensures that the Netherlands will continue to "adhere to existing agreements" on climate, but warns that if the objectives are not met, there will be "alternative policies". The agreement was reached between Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV), the pro-agricultural party BBB, the liberal party VVD and the new anti-corruption party NSC. In March, the four parties had agreed to opt for a partially technocratic government, made up of 50% politicians and 50% non-politicians. Frans Timmermans, opposition leader and member of the alliance between the Greens and the Left, considered today as a "worrying day". "We now have a radical right-wing party under the leadership of Wilders at the center of power in the Netherlands," he said. Wilders classified as historic the fact that his party is now "at the center of power" and guaranteed that "the sun will shine again in the Netherlands". Read Also: Agreement reached for coalition government in the Netherlands (Portuguese version)
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