A member of the Dutch government is set to resign on Friday, which could prompt other ministers in her party to follow her lead, plunging the government into crisis, local media reported.
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An emergency meeting was called between the leaders of the coalition parties and the government in The Hague, following the announcement of the possible resignation of State Secretary for Finance Nora Achahbar.
Many journalists were present Friday evening in front of the official residence of Prime Minister Dick Schoof, where the meeting is being held, because such a crisis could lead to the fall of the government.
Indeed, it will lose its coalition majority if the NSC, with its 20 seats out of the 150 in the lower house, decides to leave the coalition, led by the far right.
Nora Achahbar, 42, of Moroccan origin, member of the anti-corruption party NSC, did not appreciate comments deemed “racist” made in the Council of Ministers, after the violence against Israeli supporters in Amsterdam last week, reported local media.
Far-right MP Geert Wilders, leader of the coalition government’s largest party, the PVV, blamed the violence against Israeli supporters on “Muslims” and “Moroccans.”
“We will see” whether the NSC wants to remain part of the government coalition, NSC interim parliamentary head Nicolien van Vroonhoven told reporters.
The possible resignation of the Secretary of State is a hard blow for the party, she confided. “It’s difficult,” said M.me van Vroonhoven upon his arrival at the Prime Minister’s official residence, where the crisis meeting is being held.
Nora Achahbar’s resignation has not yet been made official, but according to Nicolien van Vroonhoven, Mme Achahbar will indeed leave the government. “It appears to be the case,” she said.
“Racist comments”
“The minister is expected to resign later today [vendredi] after discontent caused by incidents within the government following the violence in Amsterdam during the match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv the previous week, said the public channel NOS.
“Last Monday, during the Council of Ministers, things got worse and, according to Mr.me Achahbar, racist remarks were made,” according to this source.
«Mme Achahbar would then have indicated that she, as minister, had objections to certain comments made by her colleagues,” added the NOS channel.
Other members of the NSC government have not ruled out resigning as well, according to this source.
On the night of November 7 to 8 after a Europa League match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel-Aviv, supporters of the Israeli team were chased and beaten in the streets of Amsterdam.
Isolated incidents broke out before the match, including the burning of a Palestinian flag and anti-Arab chants chanted by Maccabi supporters.
The investigation is still ongoing and many gray areas remain in the course of events.
This violence occurred in a context of polarization in Europe, with a rise in anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli and Islamophobic acts since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The Prime Minister, who described the violence against Israeli supporters as “anti-Semitic”, promised this week radical measures to combat anti-Semitism.
