Negotiations to form the next Dutch government have collapsed after the four parties involved failed to agree on migration policy. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's centre-right VVD party had been in talks with the liberal D66, the Christian Democrats, and the Green-Left for 61 days since the March election.
The main sticking point was migration, with the Green-Left supporting open borders while the other three parties wanted stricter controls. D66 ultimately quit the talks, leading to the collapse of the coalition negotiations.
The minister tasked with forming the new government will now submit a report to parliament, after which members will discuss how to proceed. Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-EU, anti-Islam Freedom Party, welcomed the news and said he was ready to talk.
The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the EU, previously took 54 days in 2012 for two parties to form a government.
