The Dutch government hit rough waters when junior finance minister Nora Achahbar quit her post during an emergency cabinet meeting on 11/15. Her decision came after a week-long dispute about violence at a soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv
The trouble started when pro-israeli and local fans clashed near the Amsterdam Arena (where multiple incidents took place on both sides). Several ministers made comments about Dutch-moroccan youth involvement which led to Achahbars departure: she felt these statements crossed acceptable boundaries
Geert Wilders the anti-muslim leader whose party won elections last fall keeps pointing fingers at moroccan-dutch youngsters — even though police havent shared any info about suspects backgrounds. The situation got more complex when other members of Achahbars NSC party hinted at leaving the four-month-old coalition
- Police reported israeli fans damaging a taxi
- Local groups on scooters chased visiting supporters
- Both sides engaged in provocative behavior
- Amsterdamʼs authorities noted anti-social actions from multiple groups
Prime Minister Dick Schoof made things more tense by suggesting that some immigrant-background youth dont share dutch values; this comment didnt help the already-unstable political climate. The coalition partners brought in dinner for what looked like a long night of talks at the PMs house in The Hague
The current government — which took shape this summer after months of back-and-forth negotiations — might need to choose between continuing as minority or calling for new elections if NSC decides to walk away from the partnership