Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders will not be next Dutch prime minister

A day after saying he would no longer attempt to become the next Prime Minister, Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders said it was “unfair” and “constitutionally incorrect” that his potential Cabinet coalition partners denied him the opportunity.

Wilders stressed that he was the leader of the largest party after the parliamentary election. “So I also think I should have become Prime Minister. I also said at the negotiating table that I think it should be me,” the PVV leader said before meeting with Cabinet formation leader Kim Putters and the leaders of the VVD, NSC, and BBB on Thursday. “But you need the support from all parties for that.”

Wilders said he ultimately had to choose between fighting to become Prime Minister - “Which many people voted for and also expected me to become, and I am just as angry as they are” - and making this concession so that the talks could continue. The PVV leader said that he ultimately decided to accept this disappointment in the national interest, “no matter how much it hurts and how unfair I find it and how constitutionally incorrect it is.”

On Tuesday, Putters said that the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB are ready to take the next step in the Cabinet formation process. The four parties are expected to begin negotiating the terms for an extra-parliamentary Cabinet.

https://nltimes.nl/2024/03/14/wilders-grouses-unfair-process-preventing-becoming-dutch-pm