(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) – Nitrogen emissions reduction targets have divided the Dutch population, ushering in an upstart political party and playing a primary role in the ouster of Prime Minister Mark Rutte just days after the shocking collapse of his coalition government.
Rutte, the longest-serving Dutch prime minister and a sharp tactician who has presided over four different governing coalitions, does not appear to have an immediate successor lined up.
Rutte’s looming vacancy and the waning popularity of his People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy could also clear the way for him to be replaced by someone on the far Right, as growing controversies over migration, farming, and nitrogen emissions reduction targets continue to sow deep divisions among voters.
