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The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte announced on Friday the resignation of his government shaken by a scandal in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of fraud with welfare benefits.
“The rule of law must protect its citizens from the all-powerful government, and here this failed miserably,” Rutte told a news conference, adding that he had submitted the resignation of his cabinet to King William Alexander, months before the legislative elections and in the midst of the health crisis.
“We are all in agreement: when the whole system fails, you can only take joint responsibility “added.
Thousands of families were wrongly accused of fraud with some social benefits, being forced to return them, which plunged many of them into serious financial problems.
Some of the homes were targeted by the administration because of ethnicity, based on their dual nationality.
A parliamentary investigation published in December revealed that tax officials terminated benefits for thousands of families, wrongly accused of fraud. between 2013 and 2019, and forced them to retroactively return money. In some cases, it was in the tens of thousands of euros.
Senior political leaders, including several ministers, are accused of having preferred ignore these dysfunctions, of which they were aware.
The resignation of the government takes place two months before the legislative elections, scheduled for March 17, and in the midst of the pandemic, which has forced the country to impose the strictest restrictions since the beginning of the crisis.
The Dutch political system allows the existence of a “government that has resigned”Therefore, this administration will be able to take care of the normal affairs of the country pending the formation of a new government or new elections.
“Ethnic distinction”
Pressure against the government increased on Thursday following the resignation of the head of the opposition Dutch Labor Party (PvdA), Lodewijk Asscher, Minister of Social Affairs from 2012 to 2017 in Rutte’s previous government coalition.
The victims’ lawyer, Vasco Groeneveld, filed a lawsuit against three ministers in office and two former ministers, including Asscher.
Several implicated parents released a video on Monday urging the government to resign.
It had transpired that tax officials had proceeded to an “ethnic distinction” of about 11,000 people based on their dual nationality, including some of those who are affected by the case of family benefits.
In December, the Dutch government said it wanted to pay at least 30,000 euros ($ 35,000) to each parent involved in the next four months, but this measure was not enough to appease the scandal.
Rutte has led three coalition governments since 2010. In 2017, his party came ahead of the formation of far-right MP Geert Wilders.
According to the latest polls, Rutte’s liberal-conservative formation (VVD) could again lead the legislative elections, boosted by his management of the pandemic.
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