Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schauff's right-wing government averted a crisis on Friday with the resignation of a deputy cabinet minister over alleged racist comments, but the coalition will remain in power.
Deputy Finance Minister Nora Achabal submitted her resignation late Friday as the Netherlands grapples with the political fallout from last week's attack on Israeli soccer fans.
Her resignation sparked speculation that other members of the NSC party, the junior partner in the Netherlands' four-party coalition government, might follow suit.
But late Friday, Shouf told reporters at a press conference that party leaders had decided to continue working together to avoid the possibility of the collapse of the less than five-month-old government. .
“Nora Achabal has decided not to continue as deputy minister. However, as ministers we have decided to continue our cooperation,” Schauf said after an emergency five-hour meeting with coalition partners at his official residence in The Hague. said.
Achabal, who is of Moroccan descent, decided to leave the government after a heated cabinet meeting to discuss violence that broke out on the streets of Amsterdam last week after a soccer match between local clubs Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“The polarizing interactions of the past few weeks have affected me so much that I am no longer able to effectively carry out my duties as deputy minister,” Achabal said in his resignation letter to parliament on Friday.
The resignation of the deputy minister was “unexpected and has affected me and other ministers,” Schauf said, adding: “There has never been any racism within my government or the coalition parties. '' he added.
The Dutch government formally announced Achabal's resignation in a statement late Friday.
“The King has accepted his resignation in the most honorable manner, following the recommendation of the Prime Minister,” a government statement said.
On Monday, during a cabinet meeting to discuss the attack, “the situation reportedly escalated and, in Achabal's view, racist remarks were made,” public broadcaster NOS said.
“Mr Achabal reportedly said at the time that as a minister he objected to certain language used by his colleagues,” it added.
Coalition party leaders gathered in The Hague on Friday night for an emergency meeting to discuss the current crisis, with acting NSC leader Nicolien van Vroenhoven announcing ahead of time that the party would remain in coalition government. He said he would “determine” whether he wants to do so.
The Freedom Party (PVV), led by far-right leader Geert Wilders, won the most seats in the Dutch general election a year ago, but the coalition it formed stands to lose its majority if the NSC leaves the government. It will be.
Schauf's ruling coalition, consisting of the NSC, PVV, Liberal Party VVD, and the pro-peasant BBB party, holds 88 seats in parliament.
The political turmoil began on November 7, when Maccabi fans were chased and assaulted, which Schauf said was caused by “pure anti-Semitism.”
Wilders said in Wednesday's debate that the perpetrators of the violence were “all Muslims” and “mostly Moroccans.”
He called for the attackers to be prosecuted “for terrorism.”
However, Dutch authorities also reported that Maccabi fans set fire to a Palestinian flag, shouted anti-Arab slurs and destroyed a taxi before the match.
Police have launched a major investigation into the incident, with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel saying they are “moving forward”, but there are still many unknowns about the night's events. .
The violence comes amid rising tensions and polarization in Europe, with an increase in anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and Islamophobic attacks since the start of the war in Gaza.
But the Dutch government said late Thursday that it needed “more time” to flesh out its strategy to combat anti-Semitism.
