Balkenende goes to see Queen Beatrix

30 June 2006

AMSTERDAM — Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende visits Queen Beatrix on Friday at 10.30am to tender the resignation of his government.

Balkenende will advise the Monarch to begin a consultation round with the leaders of all the political parties on what happens next. The Queen will meet with other leading politicians later in the day. It is expected this will lead to early elections. The county was scheduled to go to the polls in May 2007.

The Prime Minister’s Christian Democrat Party (CDA) and the Liberals (VVD) will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed after the election, likely to be held in September or October.

It is normal that a caretaker regime does not implement controversial policies but the CDA and VVD will seek a mandate from the Queen to introduce the 2007 Budget in September.

Most of the other parties in parliament say the first priority is early elections.
Balkenende announced on Thursday evening that the three-party coalition Cabinet had come to an end.

The crisis came to a head with the resignation of the two Cabinet ministers and one junior minister of the D66 party. The rest of the ministers decided to follow suit.

D66 former government representatives halt their work with immediate effect. The party pulled the plug on the coalition after Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk (VVD) refused to resign over her handling of the Hirsi Ali naturalisation affair.

Subject: Dutch news