Geert Wilders Vows to Become Prime Minister of the Netherlands Following Election Success

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
25/11/2023 20h42

AMSTERDAM, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Geert Wilders, the veteran Dutch anti-Islam politician and leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), has expressed his determination to become the future Prime Minister of the Netherlands. After his party won the most seats in the recent parliamentary elections, Wilders took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his ambition and frustration with other parties' reluctance to cooperate.

In a lengthy post, Wilders stated that he would be willing to moderate his positions if necessary in order to gain power. "Today, tomorrow or the day after, the PVV will be part of government and I will be prime minister of this beautiful country," he wrote.

Despite the PVV's strong showing on an anti-immigration platform in the November 22 vote, the party is projected to secure only 25% of seats in the Dutch parliament, requiring collaboration with at least two more moderate parties to form a government.

The conservative VVD Party, led by caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who shares similar views on immigration with Wilders, announced on Friday that they would decline to participate in a cabinet with the PVV. However, the VVD's new leader, Dilan Yesilgoz, left the possibility open for offering a Wilders government outside support.

Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the centrist reform NSC Party and a potential partner in a future PVV-led government, has raised concerns about Wilders' extreme positions that potentially violate Dutch constitutional protections, particularly freedom of religion. Cooperation between the two parties may prove challenging due to these differences.

Dutch coalition talks typically take months, with parties' willingness to collaborate often changing over time. If Wilders is unable to form a government, alternative centrist combinations that exclude the PVV may be explored, while the option of holding new elections would be a last resort.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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