The new Dutch government is sworn in. This change comes nearly a year after the resignation of previous Prime Minister Mark Rutte. At the head of this new administration is the Freedom Party, led by far-right populist Geert Wilders, reports News.bg.
Wilders, whose party won last year's parliamentary elections, will not be part of the government but will continue to lead his party from parliament. He managed to strike a coalition deal with three other conservative parties in May after abandoning his bid to become prime minister.
The new government will be led by the independent Dick Schoff, who is the former head of the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD and a senior official in the Ministry of Justice. Schoff was proposed to ease the concerns of Wilders' coalition partners about his anti-Islamic rhetoric.
Wilders, who has lived under heavy security for 20 years because of Islamist threats to his life, said he would not change his tone and last week told his 1.4 million social media followers that he still found Islam "disgusting , a violent and hateful religion." He has chosen hardliners from his party for ministerial posts, including some who have in the past claimed that the government is actively working to replace the Dutch population with immigrants.
The new government will have to stick to the deal reached between the four parties, which includes curbs on immigration and exemptions from EU rules on asylum and the environment. Schoff and his team are expected to present detailed plans by September.
The Netherlands fell into recession last year, and the coalition agreement sees the government's budget deficit close to the maximum level of 3% allowed under EU rules. It will be the first government since 2010 without Mark Rutte, who will become NATO Secretary General in October.
Rutte, the Netherlands' longest-serving prime minister, stepped down in a televised address in which he stressed the need for cooperation. "The Netherlands has a unique tradition of compromise and taking responsibility, and it is important that we preserve this," he said.