Schoof cabinet | |
|---|---|
 Cabinet of the Netherlands | |
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| Date formed | 2 July 2024 |
| People and organisations | |
| Prime Minister | Dick Schoof |
| Deputy Prime Ministers |
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| No. of ministers | 16 |
| Member parties | |
| Status in legislature | Right-wing[1]majoritycoalition (2024–2025) Demissionary cabinet[2] (2025–present) |
| History | |
| Election | 2023 election |
| Outgoing election | 2025 election |
| Legislature terms | 2023–2025 |
| Incoming formation | 2023–2024 formation |
| Outgoing formation | 2025 formation |
| Predecessor | Fourth Rutte cabinet |
| This article is part ofa series on |
| Politics of the Netherlands |
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TheSchoof cabinet is the currentdemissionarycabinet of the Netherlands, sworn in on 2 July 2024. Led byindependent politician and civil servantDick Schoof asprime minister of the Netherlands, the cabinet was formed after the2023 Dutch general election by theParty for Freedom (PVV), thePeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD),New Social Contract (NSC), and theFarmer–Citizen Movement (BBB). It is the first time that the PVV, NSC and BBB have had seats in government.
The cabinet fell after the PVV left the coalition and cabinet on 3 June 2025 due to disagreements on asylum policy.[3][4] As ademissionary cabinet it will continue working until a new cabinet is formed, but according to convention it is not permitted to make major decisions.
UnderinformateursElbert Dijkgraaf andRichard van Zwol, the four parties (theright-wing populist PVV, theconservative liberal VVD, theChristian democratic NSC, and theagrarian BBB) reached the outline of acoalition agreement, titled "Hope, Courage, and Pride", on 16 May 2024.[5] They agreed to form an extra-parliamentary cabinet, which they defined as a cabinet with a greater distance toparliamentary groups in theHouse of Representatives.[6] Votes in parliament of coalition parties were not bound on issues not covered in the agreement, such as pensions, as long as they would not impact the budget.[7] Van Zwol was appointedformateur on 22 May. On 11 June, the four parties agreed on the names of candidates and the distribution of ministerial posts. The cabinet was to consist of 29 members, the same amount as its predecessor, of which 16 would be ministers. Three new ministerial posts were created, the Minister of Asylum and Migration, the Minister of Climate and Green Growth, and the Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning; and it includes oneminister without portfolio, namely theMinister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.[8] The cabinet was sworn in on 2 July 2024.[9]
Following the formation, the cabinet was tasked with expanding the outline of the coalition agreement into a governing agreement.[6] It was finalized by theCouncil of Ministers on 6 September 2024 and presented on 13 September, ahead of the presentation of the2025 Netherlands budget onPrinsjesdag.[10][11] TheNetherlands Bar [nl] concluded in October 2024 that nine proposals, including thedeclaration of an asylum crisis, violated the principles of therule of law, while another 28 were considered risks. Six proposals, such as the "right to make a mistake", could strengthen the rule of law.[12]
The coalition agreement included plans to issue a "well-substantiated"statutory instrument to suspend certain provisions of the Aliens Act and to introduce an Asylum Crisis Act without delay. It was agreed that no new asylum applications would be processed and that theDispersal Act would be revoked.[13][14][15] The coalition parties called their migration policy the most stringent and extensive in history.[16] In October 2024, the coalition parties agreed that the proposal to use emergency powers would be abandoned, and new legislation would be introduced to enact asylum measures, most of which were outlined in the coalition agreement, along with some additional provisions.[17][18][19] New asylum laws were sent to theCouncil of State, a required advisory step; the Council said that the government had not made it plausible that these measures would lead to fewer asylum seekers coming to the Netherlands or that these laws would streamline the asylum processes.[20] The Council of State recommended against proceeding with these laws.[21] The Cabinet voted in favour of the laws regardless.[22] They have yet to be discussed in parliament.
In a September 2024 letter to theEuropean Commission, Minister of Asylum and MigrationMarjolein Faber requested anopt-out for the Netherlands from European asylum and migration legislation in case of a treaty amendment. Such an exception can only be granted by theEuropean Council, and the Commission responded that no treaty amendments were pending.[23][24]Hungary later joined the Netherlands in requesting an opt-out.[25]
Several financial setbacks arose after coalition parties had settled on the budget in their coalition agreement, and theBureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) concluded in August 2024 that government finances would deteriorate in absence of intervention.[26] The leaders of the coalition parties met that same month with the cabinet to finalize the 2025 budget.[27] During talks, NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt threatened to withhold support, because he believed the unemployed and pensioners did not sufficiently benefit. This would have led to the fall of the cabinet.[28]
In response to theRussian invasion of Ukraine, coalition parties agreed to increase defense spending to adhere to theNATO target of 2% ofGDP. MinisterRuben Brekelmans and State SecretaryGijs Tuinman announced €2.4 billion in increased yearly funding for theNetherlands Armed Forces in September 2024. This would go towards attracting more personnel and the purchase of munitions: 46Leopard 2A8 battle tanks, sixF-35 fighter jets, twoAnti-Submarine Warfare Frigates, and severalNH90 military helicopters. The Netherlands had been left without tanks since 2011 because of budget cuts.[29][30] In addition, a further €2.6 billion was allocated towards the purchase ofshort- andmedium-range air defense systems.[31]
To decrease the projected budget deficit, cuts fordevelopment aid and education were planned as well as an increase in thesales tax on hotel stays, sports, culture, books, and newspapers from 9% to 21% starting in 2026. Opposition parties, holding a majority in theSenate, threatened to block the tax plan because of their opposition to the latter measure. Minister of FinanceEelco Heinen ultimately committed to seeking an alternative to the proposed tax increase on sports, culture, books, and newspapers before its effective date. The measure remained in the plan to avoid a €1.2 billion annual funding gap.[32][33] Regarding development aid – renamed from "development cooperation" – the cabinet intended to cut the yearly allocated budget by €2.4 billion, over a third of its total, starting in 2027. The percentage of the budget spent on sheltering asylum seekers in the Netherlands would be contained to 10%, and aid related towater management andfood security would be prioritized.[34]
The cabinet intended to cut funding education by €2 billion, half of which for higher education and science. The latter would be achieved through lowering the number of international students, increasing tuition for students exceeding the standard duration, reducing money allocated to the Fund for Research and Science, and scrapping research grants. The latter had been created by the previous cabinet.[35] The plans sparked a protest, and opposition parties presented alternative proposals in November 2024.[36][37][38] To gain Senate support, coalition parties negotiated with centrist and conservative parties, calling themselves the "unholy alliance". After two weeks, an agreement was struck to reduce the €2 billion cut by €750 million.[39][40] TheDutch Student Union was relieved that the proposed tuition increase for students exceeding the standard duration was reversed, whileUniversities of the Netherlands called scientific research the biggest loser of the compromise.[41]
In the wake of theNovember 2024 Amsterdam riots, in which supporters of the Israeli football clubMaccabi Tel Aviv F.C. clashed with pro-Palestinian locals, Schoof said that he was "ashamed" and "horrified by theantisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens."[42][43] Following an 11 November Council of Ministers meeting, he blamed a specific group of young people with amigration background for the attacks, and he said that the events pointed to a broader integration issue. Integration state secretaryJurgen Nobel stated that a significant portion of Islamic youth did not endorse Dutch norms and values.[44][45]
On 15 November, State SecretaryNora Achahbar announced her resignation citing "polarizing interactions during the past weeks." Reports circulated of offensive, radical, and potentially racist remarks about the Amsterdam attacks during the Council of Ministers meeting. Schoof invited the leaders of the four coalition parties to join the cabinet for crisis talks to avert a cabinet collapse, and they finally agreed that other cabinet members of NSC would stay on. Schoof denied allegations of racism within the cabinet and coalition parties, and he refused to release minutes of the meeting, which opposition parties had requested.[46][47][48][49][50] Achahbar later denied that her departure was because of racism, and members of parliamentRosanne Hertzberger andFemke Zeedijk of NSC resigned in her support.[51][52] Achahbar was replaced bySandra Palmen.[53]
State Secretary for Tax Affairs and the Tax AdministrationFolkert Idsinga (NSC) resigned on 1 November 2024, citing a perceived lack of trust by the House. PVV leaderGeert Wilders had joined opposition parties in demanding transparency about Idsinga's retirement savings, which included business interests and could createconflicts of interest. His savings, valued at over €6 million in 2023, were managed by a foundation for the duration of his term, and Idsinga refused to provide more visibility, citing his privacy.[54][55] Idsinga was succeeded byTjebbe van Oostenbruggen.[56]
The Netherlands had been mandated by theEuropean Union to stop the deterioration of nature inNatura 2000 sites by 2030, and goals with regard to nitrogen deposition had been enshrined in national legislation.[57] The coalition agreement reduced the fund allocated towards addressing the nitrogen crisis from €25 billion to €5 billion.[6] In September 2024, MinisterFemke Wiersma terminated the National Program for Rural Areas, which had been created by thefourth Rutte cabinet in response to the crisis and which tasked provinces with devising plans to improve the quality of nature and water based on a national fund.[58][59]
Wiersma presented the outline of her alternative plans and a provisional breakdown of the €5 billion in funding in late November 2024. The cabinet aimed to increase agricultural lands designated as nature reserves from 100,000 ha (250,000 acres) to 280,000 ha (690,000 acres) by expanding subsidies for farmers. The cabinet allocated between €1.25 billion and €2.5 billion towards innovations to reduce nitrogen emissions, and it planned to set emissions targets for farms instead of prescribing certain measures. The same amount would be available for a voluntary buyout scheme for farmers considering to leave the sector. Furthermore, Wiersma plans to postpone enforcement of nitrogen emissions regulations for a group of farmers left without a permit due to a2019 Court of State ruling for another three years. TheNetherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association [nl] responded that farmers would remain uncertain about their future because of the latter.[60][61]
In December 2024, the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of theCouncil of State ruled that unused nitrogen emission rights could no longer be allocated to other construction and expansion projects. Instead, a new permit would be required. The judgement retroactively invalidated such usage of the rights during the past five years, and Schoof established a committee comprising several cabinet members to explore measures to prevent widespread project delays.[62][63]
The coalition parties agreed to form an extra-parliamentary cabinet. In particular,Pieter Omtzigt, the leader of NSC, had insisted on an alternative to the typical majority cabinet after having campaigned on a "new governance culture" in the election. An extra-parliamentary cabinet would be defined by greater distance between the cabinet and the parliamentary groups of coalition parties in the House of Representatives.InformateurKim Putters recommended the formation of an "extra-parliamentary program cabinet", meaning the coalition parties would draft a shorter coalition agreement, which the cabinet would later expand into a governing agreement.[64]
A few months after its creation, newspaperNRC concluded the Schoof cabinet no longer resembled an extra-parliamentary cabinet. It noted that frequent talks occurred betweenparliamentary leaders and cabinet members and that coalition parties negotiated with the cabinet about the 2025 budget. Political scientist Arco Timmermans agreed the cabinet could not be considered extra-parliamentary, saying that more effort from parliamentary leaders would be required to keep distance.[64] Wim Voermans, another political scientist, argued that a cabinet could only be extra-parliamentary if there would have been no involvement from the parliament in its formation and the drafting of its agreement.[65]
When asked about responsibilities, Schoof replied that the cabinet handles primary issues, while parliamentary leaders logically take the lead on matters outlined in the coalition agreement.[66]
On 26 May 2025, PVV leader Geert Wilders presented a ten-point plan for new asylum measures, including the rejection of all asylum seekers and the return to their home country of Syrians who have applied for asylum or are in the Netherlands on temporary visas.[67]
On 2 June, a coalition meeting between the parties took place. The other coalition parties maintained that the PVV could simply get down to work on Wilders' proposed new plan. By his own admission, Wilders himself did not notice any willingness among his coalition colleagues to do anything immediately. He stated to the press that it "doesn't look good" and that they would "sleep on it another night."[68] On 3 June, after a brief meeting in which Wilders hoped that the leaders of the partners would agree to his plan, he announced that he would withdraw his ministers from the cabinet. The coalition governing partners and the opposition accused him of not taking responsibility.[69][70] At the request of nine ministers of the PVV, KingWillem-Alexander relieved them of their duties, and the resignations tendered by other ministers were considered by the King. The cabinet was transformed into a caretaker cabinet (demissionary cabinet).[71]
On 22 August 2025, theMinister of Foreign Affairs,Caspar Veldkamp, resigned after not agreeing with the ministers and state secretaries ofVVD andBBB about taking further steps to put pressure onIsrael, after theIDF launched an invasion intoGaza City and the deteriorating conditions for Palestinians on theWest Bank. The same evening the rest of ministers and state secretaries ofNSC also stepped down.[72]
The party affiliations shown below indicate the party by which a cabinet member was given. Some cabinet members are a member of a different party or of no party.
| Title[73] | Minister | Term of office | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Name | Party | Start | End | ||
| Prime Minister |  | Dick Schoof | Indep. | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Deputy Prime Minister |  | Fleur Agema | PVV | 2 July 2024 | 3 June 2025[i] | |
.jpg) | Sophie Hermans | VVD | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | ||
 | Eddy van Hijum | NSC | 2 July 2024 | 22 August 2025[ii] | ||
 | Mona Keijzer | BBB | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | ||
| Title[73] | Minister | Term of office | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Name | Party | Start | End | ||
| Minister of General Affairs | | Dick Schoof | Indep. | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth | | Sophie Hermans | VVD | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning | | Mona Keijzer | BBB | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs |  | Caspar Veldkamp | NSC | 2 July 2024 | 22 August 2025[ii] | |
.jpg) | Ruben Brekelmans (ad interim) | VVD | 22 August 2025 | 5 September 2025 | ||
 | David van Weel | VVD | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Justice and Security | | David van Weel | VVD | 2 July 2024 | 5 September 2025[iii] | |
.jpg) | Foort van Oosten | VVD | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations |  | Judith Uitermark | NSC | 2 July 2024 | 22 August 2025[ii] | |
| David van Weel (ad interim) | VVD | 22 August 2025 | 5 September 2025 | ||
 | Frank Rijkaart | BBB | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Education, Culture and Science | .jpg) | Eppo Bruins | NSC | 2 July 2024 | 22 August 2025[ii] | |
| Sophie Hermans (ad interim) | VVD | 22 August 2025 | 5 September 2025 | ||
| Gouke Moes | BBB | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Finance |  | Eelco Heinen | VVD | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister of Defence | | Ruben Brekelmans | VVD | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management |  | Barry Madlener | PVV | 2 July 2024 | 3 June 2025[i] | |
| Sophie Hermans (ad interim) | VVD | 3 June 2025 | 19 June 2025 | ||
 | Robert Tieman | BBB | 19 June 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Economic Affairs | .jpg) | Dirk Beljaarts | PVV | 2 July 2024 | 3 June 2025[i] | |
| Eelco Heinen (ad interim) | VVD | 3 June 2025 | 19 June 2025 | ||
 | Vincent Karremans | VVD | 19 June 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature |  | Femke Wiersma | BBB | 2 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
| Minister of Social Affairs and Employment | | Eddy van Hijum | NSC | 2 July 2024 | 22 August 2025[ii] | |
| Mona Keijzer (ad interim) | BBB | 22 August 2025 | 5 September 2025 | ||
.jpg) | Mariëlle Paul | VVD | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport | | Fleur Agema | PVV | 2 July 2024 | 3 June 2025[i] | |
| Eddy van Hijum (ad interim) | NSC | 3 June 2025 | 19 June 2025 | ||
| Daniëlle Jansen | NSC | 19 June 2025 | 22 August 2025[ii] | ||
| Robert Tieman (ad interim) | BBB | 22 August 2025 | 5 September 2025 | ||
_(cropped).jpg) | Jan Anthonie Bruijn | VVD | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister of Asylum and Migration |  | Marjolein Faber | PVV | 2 July 2024 | 3 June 2025[i] | |
| David van Weel | VVD | 3 June 2025[iv] | Incumbent | ||
| Minister for Asylum and Migration[v] | | Eddy van Hijum | NSC | 19 June 2025 | 22 August 2025[ii] | |
| Mona Keijzer | BBB | 19 June 2025 | Incumbent | ||
| Minister for Foreign Trade and Development[vi] | .jpg) | Reinette Klever | PVV | 2 July 2024 | 3 June 2025[i] | |
| Caspar Veldkamp (ad interim) | NSC | 3 June 2025 | 19 June 2025[vii] | ||
No party affiliation (proposed by NSC)
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