AMSTERDAM – Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands yesterday ordered an early general election for June 9th after the ruling coalition fell apart over whether to extend the country’s military mission in Afghanistan.
The queen said a caretaker government would remain in power until the election.
The monarch appointed a number of new ministers, including Jan Kees de Jager as finance minister in succession to Labour Party leader Wouter Bos.
Mr Bos triggered the political crisis on Saturday by withdrawing Labour from the ruling three-party coalition over the Afghan question, prompting two days of talks between the queen, her advisers and political leaders.
Caretaker prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende told reporters he would discuss with parliament which issues to declare controversial. The caretaker government will not be able to act on those issues during its tenure.
“At this stage I will listen carefully,” Mr Balkenende said, declining to give any details on what issues he would like to be declared off-limits.
Among the topics that might be ruled out of bounds are stimulus measures for the construction sector, a rise in the retirement age and austerity measures.
Mr de Jager faces the prospect of trying to prepare an austerity budget, negotiate with Iceland over the Icesave crisis and continue the pursuit of tax evaders, all with a limited mandate.
Mr de Jager said in a TV appearance on Monday night he wanted to accelerate the presentation of recommendations on ways to cut the budget deficit, which is forecast to top 6 per cent of gross domestic product this year.
Early polls show his and Mr Balkenende’s group, a Christian Democratic party, likely to win the election, albeit with a narrow margin over right-wing MP Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party.
On Tuesday a number of Dutch parties condemned a call by a Labour Party leader to isolate Mr Wilders and refuse to co-operate with him, saying such a call was undemocratic and could push people to vote for him.
Saturday’s coalition collapse followed more than 15 hours of talks and acrimonious exchanges throughout the week.
Mr Balkenende wanted to extend the Dutch deployment in Afghanistan past an August deadline, but the Labour Party opposed any extension.
Nato had asked the Netherlands, among the top 10 contributing nations, to investigate the possibility of a longer stay.