Blog post: Did the Dutch Save the Rule of Law?
⚖️ A Narrow Escape for the Rule of Law
Prior to the elections on 29 October 2025, around three-quarters of the parties in the previous Parliament had at least one proposal in their election manifestos that conflicted with the Dutch rule of law, according to the Orde van Advocaten.
The elections follow the collapse the previous right-wing coalition between the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, who leave behind a legacy of rule-of-law breaches—from efforts to restrict rights to asylum to attacks on the Council of State, a legislative oversight body. The collapse of the coalition perhaps spared the Netherlands a deeper institutional crisis but revealed enduring rule-of-law vulnerabilities.
The recent election has brought partial relief: voters rejected proposals that would have banned Islamic education, revoked citizenships, or imposed asylum caps that would have been in violation of the rule of law. But beneath that relief lies a deeper concern — that this trend has not been defeated, only contained.
🧩 From Consensus to Constitutional Risk
Dutch democracy relies on informal norms and political culture to uphold the Rule of Law.
The Netherlands has long prided itself on a democratic system rooted in consensus and informal constitutional safeguards rather than rigid checks and balances. But this reliance on political culture may reveal the structural weakness of Dutch institutions. Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) and other right-of-centre parties such as the FvD, JA21, and BBB had the most proposals in their manifestos that were contradictory to the rule of law.
So, does the deeper picture therefore reveal a more unsettling reality: a slow normalisation of rule-of-law violations within the Dutch political landscape?
So, does the deeper picture therefore reveal a more unsettling reality: a slow normalisation of rule-of-law violations within the Dutch political landscape?
🌍 Europe Watches Closely
Coalition talks are underway: D66 seeks to form a centrist alliance with VVD, GL/PvdA, and CDA. Whether such a government can defend judicial independence and the rights of all of its citizens and minority groups will determine whether the Netherlands’ re-asserts itself as a defender of the rule of law or continues to erode it from within.
By the NET-ROL Team
Networks and the Rule of Law – Horizon Europe Project
