A rift over immigration policy has fractured the Netherlands’ ruling four-party coalition, leading to the collapse of the Dutch government and the resignation of one of Europe’s longest serving leaders. On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte—who has helmed the Netherlands since 2010—said disagreements over his party’s proposed immigration restrictions had “become insurmountable,” CNN reported. Rutte, who is expected to continue leading the conservative VVD party, will now submit his resignation to the Dutch king. “That is extremely regrettable, and at the same time a political reality we cannot avoid,” Rutte said. The country is now slated to hold new elections this fall. At issue in the dispute—which pitted less conservative coalition parties D66 and Christian Union against Rutte’s conservative allies—was a proposed policy limiting admittance to the country for the children of refugees already there, among other restrictions.
