[16][17] In an opinion piece, he wrote that he wanted to deport asylum seekers whose application had been rejected to make room for "real refugees" from Ukraine.

[19] Shortly after the collapse of the fourth Rutte cabinet resulting from disagreements about immigration reform, Brekelmans argued in favor of cooperation with the Party for Freedom (PVV), including as a confidence partner for a minority government.

The VVD and its leader Mark Rutte had dismissed the PVV for years due to a failed coalition in the early 2010s and its anti-immigration and anti-Islam stances.

[24][25] In September 2024, Brekelmans and State Secretary Gijs Tuinman announced €2.4 billion in increased yearly funding for the Netherlands Armed Forces.

Coalition parties agreed to increase defense spending to adhere to the NATO norm of 2% of GDP in response the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The additional funding would go towards attracting more personnel and the purchase of munitions, 50 Leopard 2A8 battle tanks, six F-35 fighter jets, two Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates, and several NH90 military helicopters.

However, according to Brekelmans, the underlying threat and aggression of the Russian regime would remain, requiring sustained higher levels of European defense spending.