Wilders will not be Dutch PM after parties shun him
GEERT WILDERS, the Dutch radical anti-immigrant leader, said Wednesday that he would not be prime minister despite his election win in November, owing to a lack of support across the political spectrum.
“I can only become prime minister if all parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case,” Mr Wilders said on X, formerly Twitter. “The love for my country and voters is bigger and more important than my own position.”
The announcement came on the eve of a report on coalition talks, amid speculation of a breakthrough that could result in a technocratic government. Kim Putters, who is overseeing the negotiations, has said the parties were ready to take the “next step” after two days of “good and intense” talks. Mr Wilders posted on X that he wanted a “Right-wing cabinet... less asylum and immigration. The Dutch come first”.
Mr Wilders’ victory in November’s election put him in pole position to lead negotiations. The Netherlands’ fractured political system means no party is strong enough to govern on its own.
Mr Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) started talks with the centre-right VVD party, the BBB farmers’ party, and a new party, the New Social Contract (NSC). Led by anti-corruption champion Pieter Omtzigt, the NSC’S 20 seats make it indispensable in any coalition.
But cracks began to show, with the NSC in particular raising questions about the PVV’S far-right manifesto which calls for a ban on mosques, the Koran and Islamic headscarves. It also wants a binding referendum on a “Nexit” – the Netherlands leaving the European Union. Mr Omtzigt abruptly quit the coalition talks in February, plunging the process into chaos with the differences between his party and the PVV “too big” to bridge.
Time is ticking for the Netherlands to find a prime minister, with Mark Rutte widely expected to become Nato’s new secretary general. Since the election, support for the PVV has only increased, surveys suggest, as voters voice frustration at the slow pace of talks.