Schoof says migration is top priority, pledges to protect rights

Prime minister Dick Schoof has told MPs that controlling migration will be the new Dutch government’s number one priority in his first debate since taking office. Noting that Hassan overcame nerves to win her debut marathon in London last year, he said: “As a marathon runner, I like to draw on that.” The debate was dominated by fierce exchanges between Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right PVV party, the largest member of the coalition, and the left-wing opposition block headed by GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans. Conspiracy theories Timmermans put down a motion of no confidence in two PVV ministers, asylum minister Marjolein Faber and minister for international trade Reinette Klever, because of their past support for racist “population replacement” theories. Timmermans said the cabinet contained ministers who “spread racist conspiracy theories and attack journalists, judges and academics”, But Wilders hit back, accusing the GL-PvdA leader of dismissing people who were concerned about the changing profile of their neighbourhood as racists. Timmermans also said the government was making the “wrong choices” for the future by scaling back its plans on the transition to green energy, agricultural reform and nature restoration.