The Hague: The government of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned on Friday over a child benefit scandal that threatens political instability as the country battles the corona virus epidemic.
Thousands of parents were falsely accused by Dutch authorities of forcing them to return large sums of money and causing financial ruin.
The fact that some parents were investigated by tax officials because they had dual citizenship also rejected long-standing criticism of military racism in the Netherlands.
Rotte, one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders, who has been in power since 2010, said the cabinet would remain in a watchdog role to monitor the reaction until the mid-March 19 elections. Will “Laughter stops here,” Rogge told a news conference after the crisis meeting of his four-party coalition cabinet in The Hague.
“We have one mind: if the whole system has failed, only shared responsibility can be borne. And the conclusion is that I have just offered the king the resignation of the whole cabinet.” “The rule of law must protect its citizens from a powerful government, and here it is very wrong,” he said.
As the Netherlands battles an outbreak of the corona virus, Wright defended his decision to resign, saying the country was facing a new facelift for the first time in Britain. “Our fight against the corona virus continues,” Rote said, adding that the caretaker cabinet would “do what is necessary in the interests of the country.”
His party did worse than expected from opinion polls, which saw them at gaining about a third of the support of the Freedom and Democracy Party. 2013 and 2019.
Many people needed to return tens of thousands of euros (dollars) in benefits. Several couples reportedly broke up as a result of the tension. Rote was under increasing pressure to resign over the scam, and the government faced a vote of confidence.
The standoff escalated after opposition Labor leader Ludwig Ascher, who was social affairs minister in Rutte’s previous cabinet, resigned on Thursday over the scandal.
Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders, known for his outspokenness against immigration and Islam, said it was “correct” that the government had withdrawn. “Innocent people were criminalized, their lives were ruined,” Wilders said on Twitter. “It’s not credible that officials should continue as if nothing had happened.” Green Left Party leader Jesse Clover, another leading voice who called for Root’s resignation, said the decision could be a “new beginning, a new turn” for the Netherlands. According to Dutch media, about 26,000 people have been affected by the scandal.
Tax officials also revealed that they had “racially profiled” 11,000 people based on their dual citizenship, some of whom have been accused of fraudulent benefits fraud. The Dutch government has announced a minimum of 30,000 euros in compensation for each parent who has been falsely accused, but this is not enough to quell the growing commotion over the scandal.
The victims on Tuesday lodged a legal complaint against three serving ministers and two former ministers. Several parents released a video urging the government to drop the demand, and the trend has been trending on Twitter since Tuesday.
Rutte has led three coalition governments since 2010, most recently winning the 2017 election despite strong opposition from the Wilders.
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