In a significant development, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has given his approval to the formation of a new Cabinet, marking the final stage of the country's most right-wing government in recent history. The composition of the Cabinet reflects the distribution of ministerial positions among the parties, with some potential areas of contention becoming apparent.

After the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) secured the most votes, they chose ministers for key portfolios such as asylum, infrastructure, economic affairs, foreign trade, and health care. Meanwhile, the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, obtained the influential position of finance minister. The VVD also assumed responsibility for defense, climate and green growth, and justice departments.

The newly established centrist New Social Contract (NSC) party secured ministries for home and foreign affairs along with education and social affairs. Additionally, the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) will hold power in the areas of housing and agriculture.

However, despite the formation process taking nearly seven-and-a-half months, tensions have arisen within the coalition. Analysts have described the Cabinet as constituting four separate entities rather than a single cohesive government. Dutch commentators foresee the risk of individual political actors prioritizing their own interests and power bases rather than working collaboratively towards collective success.

Among the ministers, two individuals are expected to clash due to divergent responsibilities: Housing Minister Mona Keijzer and her party colleague Femke Wiersma, responsible for agriculture and nature. They face the challenge of balancing the allocation of land for housing humans or maintaining it for agricultural purposes.

Meanwhile, Marjolein Faber, the new migration minister from the PVV, is already generating controversy. PVV insiders view her as a hard-liner, and her confirmation hearing further ignited concerns. Faber distanced herself from past statements made as a member of the opposition and emphasized that such terminology would be deemed "incorrect and undesirable" in her new role. Critics and opponents of the PVV question how effectively they can implement their policies at a local level.

Interestingly, the level of resistance observed even before the new government's installation is considered highly unusual. In a decentralized country like the Netherlands, cooperation between the central and local levels of government has historically been crucial. However, the challenges ahead suggest that a cordon sanitaire approach, isolating certain parties, may present a greater risk to democracy than allowing the PVV to lead.

The European Union (EU) also finds itself entangled in the Dutch government's policy stances. The ruling agreement of the new government has been described as a "three-front war against the EU," with proposed opt-outs on migration and environmental rules and a reduced financial contribution to the EU budget. These positions may complicate negotiations with EU member states, especially as most Dutch ministers lack prior experience in Brussels politics.

The new Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof, must now translate the key points of their agreement into concrete policy targets before the announcement of the budget plan in late September. Amid concerns and critics, Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV, remains optimistic, promising that "The sun will shine again."

As the government takes its place, all eyes will be on the ongoing dynamics within the coalition and the ability to address the challenges facing the Netherlands on both domestic and EU fronts.