Wilders Attacks Dutch Rivals Who Vetoed His Bid to Be Premier

Cagan Koc and Sarah Jacob
·3 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- Far-right leader Geert Wilders railed against the political rivals who’ve thwarted his attempts to become prime minister of the Netherlands after his shock victory in last November’s election.

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Wilders, 60, said it was “undemocratic” of his potential coalition partners to veto his bid to lead the next administration when his party holds 37 seats, 12 more than the next biggest party.

“We have become the largest party — I think I should have become prime minister,” Wilders told local media on Thursday. It is “unfair, undemocratic and constitutionally incorrect,” he said.

Wilders was forced to abandon his bid to become prime minister on Wednesday after accepting he couldn’t secure the support he needs to form a majority in the 150-seat parliament.

His decision adds to the questions over the political direction of the European Union’s fifth-largest economy at a moment when the dangers for the continent are mounting. The most likely outcome from here is a weak government that satisfies neither the disenchanted voters who rallied behind Wilders’ anti-immigrant platform, nor the mainstream forces trying to maintain a right-wing establishment.

Wilders’ comments on Thursday suggests that bad blood from the negotiations will hamper the functioning of the next administration and could be a persistent source of instability.

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Leaders of the four coalition parties, including Wilders, have agreed to stay out of the next cabinet, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, the center-right New Social Contract, or NSC, and the Farmer-Citizen Movement are instead in talks to form a so-called “extra-parliamentary cabinet” that is based on a less-binding coalition agreement, the broadcaster said.

A version of an extra-parliamentary cabinet was last seen in the Netherlands in the 1970s. It could include cabinet members who are not members of a political party.

Under such a pact, Wilders could still make key decisions behind the scenes along with his three coalition partners, who will get to tap the new prime minister and other ministers. “I would like a right-wing cabinet,” Wilders said on X, reiterating his demands for less asylum and immigration.

Last month, Pieter Omtzigt, leader of NSC, walked out of the coalition negotiations, arguing a majority cabinet was no longer a possibility for his party due to concerns about financial diligence and constitutional matters. Omtzigt, with 20 seats, is key for Wilders’ coalition plans and said he would prefer an extra-parliamentary cabinet.

Wilders then tapped Kim Putters, a former labor party senator and current head of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands, as a lead negotiator to coordinate a new phase of the talks. Putters on Tuesday said the parties are ready to take the “next step” to form a new government, without providing details. He is slated to present a report on coalition talks to parliament on Thursday.

Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, the new leader of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD, has also previously expressed support for an extra-parliamentary cabinet.

Wilders, who repeatedly said he wants to become the next prime minister of the country, adopted a milder stance during coalition talks, even withdrawing controversial proposals such as ban on the Koran. As negotiations drag on, latest polls indicate that support for him is growing.

“I will still become prime minister of the Netherlands,” Wilders wrote in another post on Wednesday. “With support from even more Dutch people. If not tomorrow then the day after tomorrow.”

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