On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the Senate declared the bill Approval of the Treaty with the State of Israel regarding the Status of their Armed Forces controversial. The so-called SOFA treaty was placed on the list by the factions of GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD, SP, and PvdD. The factions that voted for the declaration of controversy were GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, Volt, CDA, SP, PvdD, VVD, JA21, ChristenUnie, BBB, and OPNL. Those who voted against were the factions of SGP, PVV, FVD, 50PLUS, and Fractie-Kemperman.
List
In total, since the Schoof cabinet became demissionary on June 3, 2025, ten bills have been placed on the Senates list of controversial topics. This is a common procedure after a cabinet becomes demissionary. Factions can propose bills they want declared controversial. A majority of votes is needed for the declaration of controversy. The faction leaders established the procedure on June 10 and agreed to decide on this during the plenary session on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
Procedure
When a cabinet has become demissionary, the Senate determines, at the proposal of one or more members, which bills and topics should be deemed controversial. Those bills and topics are declared controversial that are reasonably expected to lead to a different outcome with another cabinet. This involves a political assessment in which, in each case, a significant minority of the members of the Chamber has the right to speak. Once the demissionary status of the cabinet has lapsed, the controversial status of the bills and topics also lapses.
