Long-ruling party in the Netherlands says it won't join far-right's new government

(Patria) - A senator from the Dutch Freedom Party was appointed on Friday to investigate possible governing coalitions following the electoral victory of that far-right party, while the party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it would support a center-right administration in parliament but not join the next government, AP reported.

The Freedom Party (PVV), led by anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders, won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house, signaling a seismic shift in the Netherlands to the right.

Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy won 24 seats, 10 fewer than in the previous election.

After a meeting of party leaders in parliament, PVV senator Gom van Strien was appointed to investigate possible coalitions. Newly elected lawmakers will debate his findings on December 6. Van Strien said he would begin meetings with party leaders on Monday.

Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the new leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), wrote on X that after losing 10 seats in the election, the long-ruling party would “enable and constructively support a center-right government with good policies,” but would not enter the government.

Wilders called the decision, announced before formal coalition talks began, “extremely disappointing.”

The election result and Van Strien’s appointment pave the way for Wilders to take the lead in forming a new coalition and potentially succeed Rutte as prime minister.

However, he will likely have to persuade potential coalition partners that he will moderate some of his anti-Islam policies. His party’s election platform states that the Netherlands “is not an Islamic country. There are no Islamic schools, no Quran and no mosques.”

One of Wilders’ potential coalition partners is the recently formed New Social Contract (NSC) party, which won 20 seats. Centrist party leader Pieter Omtzigt said he could not accept “unconstitutional” policies.

Article 1 of the Dutch constitution prohibits discrimination “on the grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation or on any other ground.”

In his election night victory speech, Wilders pledged not to implement policies that would violate the law or the constitution. His foreign policy has also raised concerns among Dutch allies,
interim Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said Friday.

Wilders’ election platform states, “we will not send our money and defense equipment such as F-16s to Ukraine.”

“I hope and expect that support will remain,” Ollongren told reporters in The Hague. She said she had received concerned calls about the issue since the election.

The interim administration led by Rutte will remain in office until a new coalition is formed. In August, Rutte said the Netherlands and Denmark would send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. An international training center for F-16 pilots, including from Ukraine, opened earlier this month in Romania.

Rutte tweeted Friday that he had one of his regular conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “The Netherlands stands with the people of Ukraine and supports Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression,” Rutte said.