Geert Wilders, whose anti-Islam, anti-immigration rhetoric swept him to a stunning victory in a November election, said on Wednesday that he does not have the support of his prospective coalition partners to become the next Dutch prime minister.
Wilders took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: “I can only become premier if ALL parties in the coalition support that. That wasn’t the case.”
His comment came after Dutch media reported, citing unnamed sources, that a breakthrough in coalition talks announced on Tuesday night was that the leaders of all four parties involved in drawn-out coalition negotiations would remain in parliament.
That sets up the likelihood of some sort of technical Cabinet made up of experts.
While it now looks like Mr Wilders will not lead the government, he and his Party for Freedom (PVV) will remain the driving force behind the administration after sweeping to a stunning victory in the November 22nd elections.
Mr Wilders did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Other leaders involved in the talks also did not immediately comment.
Mr Wilders’ decision to put aside his leadership ambitions – for now, at least – appears to be the breakthrough that negotiator Kim Putters alluded to a night earlier after two days of behind-closed-doors negotiations.
But he later added another comment on X to say he still aims to become Dutch prime minister in the future.
“Don’t forget: I will still become premier of the Netherlands,” he said. “With the support of even more Dutch people. If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. Because the voice of millions of Dutch people will be heard.”
Mr Wilders’ party holds 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament.
The four parties in government talks hold a combined 88 seats, giving them a comfortable majority.
Polls since the election show that support for Mr Wilders’ party continues to grow.
While the exact contours of a new coalition Cabinet remain unclear, Putters believes that the parties are now ready to hammer out a deal. Putters was writing up a report Wednesday that he will present to lawmakers on Thursday. He also invited the four leaders to more talks Thursday morning.
Mr Wilders has often called for a ban on mosques, Islamic schools and the Koran, but in a concession to his prospective coalition partners in January, he withdrew draft legislation to implement the bans.
The Netherlands is not alone in seeing a shift to the right.
Far right parties also are expected to make significant gains in June elections for the European Union’s parliament and Portugal’s inconclusive result in Sunday’s election thrust the populist Chega – or Enough – party into a possible kingmaker’s role.
