Doha: Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s caretaker government is facing a no-confidence motion in parliament, a step that could trigger its resignation and plunge the Netherlands into an unprecedented political crisis. The motion was tabled Wednesday by Stephan van Baarle, leader of the minority-rights DENK party, which holds three seats in the lower house of parliament.

According to Qatar News Agency, if carried, it could result in a full-day shutdown of proceedings in the House of Representatives in The Hague. Since Schoof’s cabinet is a caretaker government following the collapse of a four-party coalition last June, there is no clear procedure if it fails to withstand the no-confidence vote, and uncertainty looms over the stance of lawmakers from 15 different parties.

This parliamentary move came last Friday when a party from the centre-right bloc pulled out from the coalition due to a standoff in connection with the imposition of more stringent measures against the Israeli entity because of its war in Gaza. This is in addition to the departure of Foreign Minister Kasper Veldkamp and his colleagues from the New Social Contract party.