Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders quits government

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Far-right leader Geert Wilders has quit the Dutch government, plunging the country into political uncertainty.

Wilders, whose Freedom party was the biggest in the four-party coalition, said he could no longer support its failure to crack down on asylum applications.

The coalition government lasted 11 months and was riven with frequent disputes.

Wilders was thwarted in his desire to be prime minister, with Dick Schoof, a former spy chief who has never held elected office, taking the role. 

The Dutch parliament could try to find a new coalition with a majority or call fresh elections.

This is a developing story