Thursday, September 16, 2021
After the Afghanistan debacle
Dutch Foreign Minister resigns
The Dutch parliament denounces the unsuccessful evacuation of Afghan local workers from the airport in Kabul to the defense and foreign ministers. The latter says there is nothing she can do but accept the consequences – and resigns.
The Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag has resigned after harsh parliamentary criticism of the failed evacuation in Afghanistan. The parliament had previously adopted a motion of disapproval in The Hague with 78 votes against 72. Parliament had given credit to the left-liberal foreign minister for the unsuccessful evacuation of local Afghan employees from Kabul.
The Christian Democratic Defense Minister Ak Bijleveld also received a disapproval. But you decided to stay in office. Kaag was only acting minister and had only been in this post since May. A new coalition government has not yet been formed since the parliamentary elections in March.
The entire opposition and the ruling Christian Union party voted in favor of the motions for disapproval. The foreign minister then resigned: “Your parliament judges that the cabinet acted irresponsibly. I can therefore do nothing other than accept the consequences.”
Consequences for the formation of a government cannot yet be foreseen
It is unclear what political consequences this step will have for the formation of a government. At the weekend, the right-wing liberal VVD of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the left-wing liberal D66 with Kaag and the Christian Democrats should start talks about the formation of a minority government.
As in the Netherlands, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas have come under fire in Germany after incorrect assessments of the situation in Afghanistan led to the evacuation mission, which was sometimes chaotic.
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