Dutch PM seeks King’s permission to form new government

The Dutch Prime Minister is meeting with King Willem-Alexander Saturday to assemble a caretaker administration in the wake of the collapse of his center-right government over disagreements about immigration policy.

The Dutch government collapsed Friday when members of the four-party ruling coalition could not come to an agreement over asylum policies during crisis talks overseen by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Parliament is expected to be dissolved and new elections will likely be held in November, Dutch media reported.

Rutte’s VVD party has been trying to crack down on migrants arriving in the Netherlands following reports that facilities for migrants are overcrowded, the BBC reported.

Rutte, 56, is the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister. On Friday, he said that he would like to run for a fifth term but would have to consult with his party before making a final decision.

“If you were to ask me to decide now, the answer is obviously ‘yes’,” he told journalists, but added, “It’s also up to the party”.

The ruling coalition has been split on immigration policy for more than a year. The current crisis came to a head this week as Rutte’s party pushed to limit the entrance of children of war refugees who are already in the Netherlands.

Rutte’s party wants to make the families wait for two years until they can be reunited. That proposal was barred by two of the coalition parties — the small Christian Union and liberal D66.

As head of state, King Willem-Alexander is expected to ask Rutte’s coalition to stay in power until a new administration can be formed after elections, Dutch media reported.