Huge blow for Geert Wilders as main party refuses to join coalition with him

(Patria) - Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders suffered a major setback in his bid to form a ruling coalition on Wednesday when a key potential partner ruled itself out of negotiations, AFP reported.

A week after Wilders caused a political earthquake in the Netherlands and beyond with his election victory, his task of building a coalition became even harder.

The process is being closely scrutinised in Brussels and across Europe, given Wilders' anti-Islam,
anti-immigrant and anti-European manifesto, which also calls for halting arms deliveries to Ukraine. Wilders needs the support of 76 MPs in the 150-seat parliament. His Party for Freedom (PVV) shocked everyone by winning 37 seats, far above what polls had predicted.

His desired coalition is with the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB, seven seats), the new pro-reform New Social Contract party (NSC, 20 seats) and the current ruling party, the centre-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD, 24 seats).

The VVD has already ruled out a coalition, saying it would "support a centre-right coalition" from the opposition benches. The BBB and NSC were seen as more accommodating. However, the NSC and its popular leader Pieter Omtzigt said they saw no way to work with the PVV unless it clarified the more extreme parts of its manifesto.

"All in all, the NSC faction now sees no basis to start talks with the PVV about a majority or minority government," Omtzigt stated. The PVV manifesto "contains positions that, in our view, are against the constitution... we draw a hard line here," he added.

The manifesto calls for a ban on mosques, headscarves and the Quran, as well as a referendum on "Nexit" -
the Netherlands leaving the EU. Wilders softened his tone during the election campaign and since election night has stressed that he wants to be prime minister "for all Dutch people" regardless of race or religion.