Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tendered his cabinet’s resignation to Queen Beatrix this afternoon. The prime minister’s minority coalition government collapsed at the weekend after the cabinet’s parliamentary backer, the far-right PVV, refused to support the government’s austerity measures.

The queen is considering the resignation and a government information service statement said Queen Beatrix had “asked all ministers and deputy ministers to continue to do everything that is necessary in the interests of the kingdom.”

The Rutte government, which comprised his own conservative VVD party and the Christian Democrat CDA, lasted just 18 months. The minority coalition was supported on a range of issues by Geert Wilders’ populist PVV or Freedom Party. However, the Freedom party is anti-EU and opposes any interference from Brussels.

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RNW