THE HAGUE   -   Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in former spy chief Dick Schoof as new prime minister Tuesday, at the head of a right-wing coalition cabinet with a mission to implement the “strictest-ever” immigration policy in the country.  Two hundred and twenty-three days after far-right leader Geert Wilders swept to an election victory that stunned Europe and the world, Schoof took over from Mark Rutte after 14 years in power.

Schoof presented his ministers to Willem-Alexander in the ornate “Oranjezaal” in the royal palace, who each stepped forward to swear allegiance to the king and the constitution.  Wilders was forced to shelve his own ambitions to be prime minister to keep rocky coalition talks on track -- some negotiation partners considered his anti-Muslim and eurosceptic statements too extreme to lead the nation. Instead, the four coalition partners agreed their party leaders would not be in government, compromising on Schoof, 67, who was previously running the Dutch Secret Service. Keen marathon runner Schoof will need all his stamina and experience in the halls of power in The Hague to keep the shaky coalition partners on track.

Schoof “will have a lot of work keeping ideological and personal conflicts under control”, Sarah de Lange, professor of political pluralism at the University of Amsterdam, told AFP.

He has vowed to implement “decisively” the coalition plans for the “strictest-ever admission policy for asylum and the most comprehensive package for getting a grip on migration”.  The 26-page coalition agreement, titled “Hope, courage and pride”, also called to examine the idea of moving the Dutch embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Schoof has said he aims to be “a prime minister for all Dutch citizens”, adding: “I am without a party. I don’t see myself kowtowing to Mr Wilders”. De Lange said Wilders will have plenty of work keeping his own PVV (Freedom Party) in check and Schoof would be given space.

“Given his extensive experience leading government agencies, he will surely know how to defend his position,” she said.

“It is still an open question though, how he will respond if Wilders tries to put him under pressure by voicing public criticism of his functioning on X”, formerly Twitter.

A new Ipsos I&O poll published Tuesday showed confidence in the government had increased to 42 percent from a low of 29 percent in September 2022.