DUTCH FAR-RIGHT FIREBRAND SAYS WON’T BE PM TO ADVANCE COALITION TALKS

THE HAGUE: Four months after farright leader Geert Wilders swept to a stunning election win, the Netherlands appears poised for a breakthrough in forming a government — without the firebrand at the helm.

The anti-Islam, anti-immigration Wilders announced on Wednesday he was dropping — for now — a bid to lead the European Union’s fifth economy due to a lack of broad support.

Kim Putters, the “informer” overseeing torturous coalition talks between four right-wing parties, sets out his recommendations in a hotly-awaited report later on Thursday.

Party leaders have reportedly agreed to give up posts for themselves in favour of an “extra-parliamentary” Cabinet made up of experts drawn from outside politics or loosely tied to parties.

Public broadcaster NOS said the normally dense coalition agreement would be shorter and less concrete — with the idea that parliament would have more say on individual policies.

The last time the Netherlands had an “expert” government was in 1918 but the concept of a technocratic government is familiar to some other European countries, especially Italy.

Since the 1990s it has become common to call in unelected outsiders at times of crisis in Italian politics — notably in 2021 when European Central Bank Mario Draghi became PM.

It is not immediately clear how the system would work in the Netherlands, but Wilders is expected to take the lead in proposing a premier to replace current PM Mark Rutte.

The next step however is likely to be more talks between the four parties — Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV), farmers party BBB, centreright Liberals VVD, and anti-corruption NSC.

Negotiations between the four have been fractious throughout, with sniping on social media and major concerns over some of the PVV anti-Islam, anti-EU policy positions.

Polls show that support for Wilders and his PVV party has only grown since his election win, when he clinched 37 seats out of 150 in the Dutch parliament.