NATO debates 5% defence spending push ahead of Hague summit
NATO defence ministers are set to meet in Brussels this week to tackle Donald Trump’s call for a major military spending boost, just weeks before the alliance’s key summit.
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders announced the collapse of the ruling coalition on Tuesday after his PVV party quit the government, citing disagreements over asylum policy—paving the way for fresh elections and heightening political uncertainty in the Netherlands.
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders abruptly withdrew his Party for Freedom (PVV) from the governing coalition on Tuesday, effectively toppling the right-wing government less than a year after it was formed.
Wilders, who led his party to victory in last year’s elections, said the decision followed coalition resistance to his demands for a strict clampdown on asylum migration.
“No signature under our asylum plans. The PVV leaves the coalition,” Wilders wrote in a post on X, referring to his proposals that coalition partners reportedly refused to endorse.
The move marks the end of an already fragile four-party coalition that had struggled to maintain unity since taking office in July. Analysts say the government’s collapse will likely trigger new elections within months, plunging the eurozone’s fifth-largest economy into fresh political uncertainty.
The political turmoil comes at a crucial time, just weeks before the Netherlands is set to host a NATO summit in The Hague, where member countries are expected to agree on increased defense spending targets. With the government now in caretaker status, key decisions on military investments may be delayed.
The collapse also raises questions about the Netherlands’ ability to push through necessary economic and migration reforms in the short term. Wilders’ departure from the coalition follows a sharp decline in support since his party entered government, with recent polls showing the PVV now neck-and-neck with the Labour-Green alliance, the current second-largest bloc in parliament.
Wilders, a longtime critic of Islam and immigration, had promised to take a hardline stance on asylum seekers as part of his governing agenda. His inability to get backing for these policies ultimately led to the coalition’s breakdown.
As the country heads toward new elections, Dutch voters once again face a divided political landscape and the prospect of protracted coalition talks.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
In a major blow to one of President Donald Trump’s key economic policies, a US federal court has blocked the administration’s sweeping global tariff regime, ruling that the White House overstepped its constitutional authority.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
NATO defence ministers are set to meet in Brussels this week to tackle Donald Trump’s call for a major military spending boost, just weeks before the alliance’s key summit.
Proliferating conflict zones are an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, executives say, as carriers grapple with missiles and drones, airspace closures, location spoofing and the shoot-down of another passenger flight.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S., citing security threats. The order takes effect on June 9 and will not affect visas issued before that date.
Massive flooding in India’s northeastern Assam state has displaced hundreds of thousands and endangered rare one-horned rhinoceroses in one of the country's most densely populated rhino habitats.
The Philippines has inked a $700 million agreement with South Korea's KAI to acquire 12 advanced FA-50 fighter jets by 2030, enhancing its military capabilities amid regional tensions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment