Will the new Dutch ruling coalition form a "right-most government"? , the former intelligence chief was nominated as the new prime minister, including | Shaw | Intelligence Agency

According to reports, the four-party ruling coalition of the Netherlands held a press conference on the 28th to announce the nomination of Dick Schoff as the prime minister of the new government.

The possibility that a party outsider could become prime minister of the Netherlands would be unexpected to many, including Schauf himself.

Analysts believe that in an atmosphere where the Netherlands continues to "turn to the right", the choice of Schoff, who has never served as a government minister or member of parliament, as prime minister reflects the great differences within the ruling coalition.

Schoff, who was nominated as the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands, is 67 years old and serves as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice and Security of the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, 67 is the right age to retire, but Schoff applied and was allowed to continue serving in public office for three years. He had previously said that he had made the decision before the government election.

In the past, Shaw mainly worked on domestic policy and was not well known internationally.

Information shows that Schof once served as director of the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service and national counter-terrorism and security coordinator. At the beginning of this century, he also served as head of the Dutch Immigration Service.

Schoff is not currently affiliated with any political party and has no experience serving in parliament or government. Although he had been a member of the Labor Party for decades, he clarified on the day his nomination was announced that he had no ties to the party.

In this context, Schoff was labeled a "political outsider." In other words, if he becomes prime minister, he will still be a newcomer to politics in his 60s.

"I think this is a surprise for a lot of people. In fact, it's a surprise for me as well." Shaw said in an interview with the media that day.

According to Shaw, the four parties in the ruling coalition jointly invited him to serve as prime minister, and he decided to accept the position after careful consideration.

In the eyes of party leaders, Schoff's status as an outsider appears to be a plus. "Schof has a good record. He does not belong to any party, which allows him to be above the party." Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right Freedom Party, responded on social media. He also used "honest" and "friendly" "Describes Shaw.

Wilders' originally optimistic "first candidate" Ronald Plastek had stepped down under investigation due to patent disputes. Plastek is a veteran of the Labor Party and a former Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science.

With experience working in the Ministry of Justice and Security, Schoff said he would uphold the rule of law and govern for everyone. He also emphasized that "everyone" includes not just the leaders of the four parties in the ruling coalition.

Schauf's nomination means that he may succeed Mark Rutte, who has served as prime minister for more than 13 years and is the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history.

The Netherlands, which has a multi-party system, usually has multiple political parties forming a governing coalition.

But the formation of a new coalition government has not been easy. The selection of the new prime minister has also been negotiated for nearly half a year.

In July last year, Prime Minister Rutte announced the collective resignation of the coalition government due to serious differences within the Dutch ruling coalition over immigration policy. The Dutch Election Commission subsequently announced early elections for the House of Representatives.

In the House of Representatives election in November of the same year, the Liberal Party led by Wilders "unexpectedly" won 37 of the 150 seats, becoming the largest party in the House of Representatives for the first time.

There had been speculation that Wilders, known as the "Dutch Trump", would become prime minister. However, the Liberal Party is often classified as a right-wing populist party by Western mainstream media. The ideas of the party leader Wilders are also difficult to be recognized by the mainstream political parties in the Netherlands, and the negotiations to form the government have experienced many twists and turns. In order to facilitate the formation of a government, Wilders has given up being prime minister.

Nearly six months after his election victory, on May 15 this year, Wilders announced that the Liberal Party had reached an agreement with potential allies to form a new coalition government in the Netherlands.

The remaining three parties that formed a coalition government with the Liberal Party are the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy led by Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, the New Social Contract Party established in August last year, and the emerging party Farmers' Party.

The four parties reached a compromise during the negotiations, stipulating that the leaders of the four parties will continue to serve as members of the House of Representatives in the future and will not serve as prime minister or minister of the new government.

Some analysts believe that the selection of a "political novice" as prime minister now reflects the great differences within the ruling coalition. Because Shaw, as a technocrat who formulates current policies, is somewhat strange to be paired with the current cabinet led by a populist party.

At present, there are signs of a new government and a candidate for prime minister. Richard van Zwal, who is responsible for leading the negotiations to form a new government, said on the 28th that their goal is to complete the formation of the government before June 26.

The governing platform released by the new ruling coalition this month mentioned that the new government will negotiate with the EU to withdraw from the common refugee and immigration policy and establish "the strictest asylum system in history", including strengthening border controls and limiting the number of refugees entering the Netherlands. This series of measures may cause friction between the Netherlands and the EU before the cabinet is formed.

In addition, the new government will also reduce the number of overseas students and reduce tax exemptions for foreigners.

In addition, Dutch climate policy may also be reduced. The new government hopes to promote the country's energy independence and eliminate subsidies for electric vehicles from 2025.

In terms of diplomatic stance, the new Dutch government will continue to provide political and military support to Ukraine, and hopes to enshrine the defense expenditure requirement of 2% of the country's GDP required by NATO into law. It is also skeptical about allowing more countries to join the EU.

Outsiders believe that once a new government is formed, it may become the "most right-wing government" in the Netherlands for decades.

However, this time's governing platform has not yet accommodated Wilders' more radical ideas, including banning the Koran, holding a "Brexit" referendum, and withdrawing from international climate agreements.

Louise van Schijk, director of European Union and Global Affairs at the Klinghendahl Institute of International Relations in the Netherlands, warned that even if a government is successfully formed, the coalition will not be able to form a coalition due to the lack of governing experience among the cabinet candidates of the four parties and the lack of political connections within the four parties. The government may still be "unstable."