The Dutch coalition government is teetering on the edge of collapse, with internal clashes over European defense spending and Ukraine aid threatening to blow the alliance apart.
At the heart of the dispute is the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which has hinted it may pull the plug on the four-party coalition unless its conservative partners back the European Union’s controversial plan to take on massive debt to fund Ukraine’s war effort and bolster the bloc’s military strength.
If the VVD walks away, the ruling coalition would lose its majority. But rather than send voters back to the polls, sources in The Hague say the VVD is quietly weighing a surprising alternative—partnering with the left-wing GreenLeft–Labour party, led by former EU climate chief Frans Timmermans.
Timmermans, who championed the EU’s Green Deal and became a polarizing figure among farmers and businesses, could find himself back in power, this time as part of an emergency “war cabinet.” The idea is to cobble together a cross-party alliance willing to back Ukraine without the headache of new elections—framed, naturally, as a move “for the greater good.”
The friction exploded after the three more conservative coalition parties backed a motion rejecting fresh EU loans for military aid. Right-wing firebrand Geert Wilders, head of the nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV), made it clear where he stands: helping Ukraine matters, he said, but not at the expense of Dutch citizens struggling with soaring food prices, sky-high rents, and energy bills. He’s already promised to block an additional €3.5 billion in Dutch funding for Ukraine set for 2026.
Wilders also scoffed at the EU’s grand plans to pump €800 billion into European defense, warning that the money may sound impressive but would saddle countries with mountains of debt.
Behind the scenes, European leaders remain jittery. Many fear that Washington’s shifting stance under a possible second Trump administration—pushing for peace talks with Moscow—could leave Europe holding the bag. In the Netherlands, that anxiety is playing out in real time, threatening to fracture the government and trigger an unexpected shift to the left.
Whether the VVD’s gamble pays off—or sparks a fresh political crisis—remains to be seen.
