Amsterdam, 6 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Parliamentary elections will be held in the Netherlands on October 29, following the collapse of the government this week.

Acting Interior Minister Judith Uitermark made the announcement on Friday after a Cabinet meeting in The Hague. The government broke up on Tuesday amid a dispute over asylum policy.

Populist firebrand Geert Wilders brought down the four-party coalition in a fight over tougher measures for asylum seekers. His far-right, anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) was the largest group in the coalition.

With its withdrawal, the ministers and state secretaries of his party also resigned. King Willem-Alexander then asked Prime Minister Dick Schoof, a political independent, to continue in office on an interim basis.

The Interior Ministry said it was not possible to bring forward the date of new elections because of the deadlines for the nomination of candidates and the registration of Dutch citizens abroad who wish to vote. Summer and autumn holidays were also taken into account.

It is unclear whether the new elections in the Netherlands will result in a more stable political situation. The party landscape is highly fragmented, and coalition negotiations have proven complicated and lengthy in the past.

Wilders has reaffirmed his goal of making his party the strongest force again and seeking the office of prime minister himself. However, his previous partners have so far left open whether they are willing to give the alliance another go.

MIA file photo