Geert Wilders, whose far-right Freedom party (PVV) shocked the Netherlands by finishing first in elections late last year, has conceded that he will not be the next prime minister because his potential coalition partners do not back him.
“I can only become the prime minister if all the parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case,” Wilders said on X late on Wednesday. “Love for my country and voters is bigger and more important than my own position.”
He later added another post saying he would “still become prime minister of the Netherlands” one day. “With the support of even more Dutch people. If not tomorrow, then the day after. The voice of millions of Dutch people will be heard!”
The populist PVV won 37 seats – far more than forecast but well short of a majority in the 150-seat parliament – in the November election and has since been holding exploratory coalition talks with three potential rightwing allies.
Their refusal to accept some of Wilders’ more extreme manifesto pledges had already forced him to drop anti-constitutional measures including bans on mosques, the Qur’an and Islamic headscarves, as well as a “Nexit” referendum on leaving the EU.
But the possibility of the controversial anti-Islam polemicist, who has lived under police protection since 2004, becoming prime minister plainly proved an insurmountable obstacle.
One partner, the newly formed NSC, which campaigned on a platform of “good governance” and “doing politics differently”, said last month it would not enter a formal coalition. At the time the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper described the talks as characterised by “poison, mutual sniping and gossiping”.
Wilders’ announcement comes a day before the intermediary facilitating the coalition negotiations, Kim Putters, is due to present a report on their progress, amid mounting speculation of a breakthrough that could produce a technocratic government.
The Dutch national broadcaster, NOS, earlier reported that the four prospective partners were considering a scenario in which the party leaders would remain in parliament and not join the new government.
Instead, a so-called “extra-parliamentary” cabinet of experienced politicians and possibly experts from outside politics, not considered closely allied to any of the ruling parties, could be appointed who would work closely with parliament.
Putters said the parties – the PVV, liberal-conservative VVD, populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) and NSC – were ready to take the “next step” after two days of “good and intense” talks at a country estate on Monday and Tuesday.