Formation of government
Coalition talks in the Netherlands collapsed
“Incredibly disappointing”: Geert Wilders. photo
© Koen Van Weel/ANP/dpa
Hopes for a right-wing coalition in the Netherlands are dashed – NSC breaks off negotiations with Geert Wilders. It is unclear how the formation of a government will proceed.
Around ten weeks after the parliamentary election in the In the Netherlands, coalition talks between right-wing populist Geert Wilders and three other right-wing parties have failed.
The center-right NSC (New Social Contract) party decided on Tuesday evening in The Hague that it would not continue the talks. This was announced by party leader Pieter Omtzigt. However, the party does not rule out tolerating a right-wing minority government and helping it gain a majority in parliament. It is unclear how the formation of a government will proceed. The three remaining right-wing parties do not have a majority in parliament.
Financial budget situation as a reason for the failure of the talks
Right-wing populist Wilders reacted soberly on the platform NSC boss Omtzigt cited the strained financial budget situation as the reason for the failure.
In the election on November 22nd, the radical right-wing populist Geert Wilders and his anti-Islam party PVV became the strongest force and won 37 of the 150 seats in parliament. He had previously negotiated the formation of a government with the right-wing liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte as well as with the NSC and the smaller right-wing populist peasant movement BBB.
NSC parliamentary group leader Omtzigt had constitutional concerns about cooperation even before the talks began. The VVD has so far only been willing to tolerate a minority government led by Wilders without involving its own ministers.