The Dutch Prime Minister will not be far-right

The PVV (Party for Freedom) leader, Geert Wilders, withdrew from the Dutch Prime Minister bid, declaring it “unfair” and “undemocratic”.

Despite winning 37 seats in the 150-sea lower house in the November 22 general election, the PVV´s leader renounced his plan to become the next Prime Minister.

Although the far-right movement has been rising in popularity, Wilders failed to reach terms with other parties after weeks of negotiations.

“I can only become Prime Minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case. I would like a right-wing cabinet. Less asylum and immigration. Dutch is number one,” stated the leader on X.

Wilders aimed to form a coalition with the Freedom and Democracy Party and the NSC (New Social Contract Party), out-ruling Mark Rutte, but the NSC leader, Pieter Omtzigt, retreated from coalition talks with Wilders, last month. The PVV leader found this “incredibly disappointing.”

This refusal can be interpreted as the turn to the “cordon sanitaire”: the refusal of cooperation with extremist parties, as Wilders´ anti-Islam, anti-immigration, and anti-EU, campaigns have been striking controversy in the nation and beyond.

Despite his denouncement, Wilders pertains to his ambition to rule the Dutch government: “I will still become Prime Minister of the Netherlands,” he stated on X, “If not tomorrow then the day after tomorrow. Because the voices of millions of Dutch people will be heard!”