AMSTERDAM: Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s right-wing coalition government has managed to survive despite the resignation of a minister over alleged racist comments made by cabinet colleagues.
The controversy stemmed from clashes in Amsterdam between Israeli football fans and Palestinian supporters.
Junior Finance Minister Nora Achahbar unexpectedly resigned on Friday, protesting claims made by some politicians, including far-right leader Geert Wilders, who suggested that Dutch youth of Moroccan descent had attacked Israeli fans during last week’s match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“The polarising interactions of the past weeks made such an impact on me that I am no longer able to effectively carry out my duties as deputy minister,” Achahbar, who was born in Morocco, stated in her resignation letter to parliament.
Schoof’s coalition, led by Wilders’s Party for Freedom (PVV), remains in power despite the resignation. The PVV emerged as the largest party in last year’s general elections, and the government was formed in July following months of tense negotiations.
Achahbar’s resignation triggered an emergency meeting where members of her centrist New Social Contract (NSC) party, a junior partner in the four-party coalition, threatened to leave. Had they followed through, the coalition would have lost its majority in parliament.
However, Schoof’s government held together. “We have reached the conclusion that we want to remain, as a cabinet for all people in the Netherlands,” Schoof told reporters at a news conference in The Hague on Friday evening.
Addressing the “incidents in Amsterdam last week,” Schoof acknowledged the national unrest, saying, “There is a lot of upheaval in the country. It was an emotional week, a heavy week, and a lot has been said and a lot happened.” Nonetheless, he firmly stated, “There has never been any racism in my government or in the coalition parties.”
Earlier, Schoof had linked the violence to people “with a migration background,” who, according to him, did not share “Dutch core values.” Wilders, who is not part of the cabinet, has repeatedly claimed that Dutch youth of Moroccan descent were responsible for the violence against Israeli fans, though police have not confirmed the backgrounds of the suspects.
Dutch authorities have also stated that the violence was sparked by Israeli fans, who are said to have set fire to a Palestinian flag, chanted anti-Arab slurs, and vandalised a taxi and private homes displaying Palestinian flags before the match.
Achahbar, a former judge and public prosecutor, felt that comments from several political figures were hurtful and potentially racist, according to De Volkskrant daily. Reports suggest that during a cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss the unrest, tensions escalated, and Achahbar felt that “racist statements were made,” as per NOS public broadcaster.
