The United States and the Netherlands, two culturally and economically intertwined countries, have another somewhat unexpected similarity – both have rather unique and currently new(ish) figures at the helm. For the United States, it’s President Donald Trump, and for the Netherlands, it’s Prime Minister Dick Schoof. While PM Schoof assumed office in July of 2024, and President Trump for the first time in 2017, both of their rises to power are somewhat unusual. Trump, having been effective in various industries he engaged in starting in the late sixties and extending until his first presidential campaign, was well known for his media personality, real estate and casino ventures, and his golf clubs. He also dabbled in politics, being overwhelmingly unsuccessful until his 2016 campaign. PM Schoof, on the other hand, served as a civil servant in various ministries of the Dutch government from 1988, with some more notable positions being that he served as the director of the Immigration and Naturalization service from 1999 to 2003, director of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations after that until 2010, a three-year stint as director of the Police, five years as the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism, two years as head of Intelligence and in the four years preceding his nomination for Prime Minister, he was the secretary general of the Ministry of Justice. So it’s fair to say that they have different backgrounds.
They did, however, both come into power on a similar platform: immigration. Donald Trump was elected directly as President after running a significant portion of his campaign on that matter. Dick Schoof, on the other hand, was nominated as Prime Minister by Geert Wilders, the leader of the largest party in the Dutch Parliament after the most recent election, where his party, the Party for Freedom, promised to reduce immigration to the Netherlands.
Both leaders also take a pro-Israel stance, though Schoof more cautiously than President Trump. President Trump stands staunchly on the side of Israel – clearing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government to do as they see fit – and has repeatedly condemned and tried to reduce antisemitism. Prime Minister Schoof also stands with Israel and against antisemitism, condemning the antisemitic attacks around the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last November, saying that “the Dutch government is doing everything it can to ensure that the Jewish community in our country feels safe,” even somewhat defying the ICC by hinting at a possibility of a legal loophole that would allow Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without being arrested.
Image Source: https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1279838487/premier-dick-schoof-belt-met-donald-trump-om-hem-te-feliciteren-met-amerikaanse-verkiezingswinst
