Dutch Anti-Islam Leader Geert Wilders Abandons PM Bid

Dutch anti-Islam populist leader Geert Wilders has said that he will not be the next prime minister as his potential coalition partners do not back him.

Wilders’ far-right Freedom party (PVV) shocked the Netherlands by finishing first in elections late last year.

In a post on X, he said, ‘I can only become the prime minister if all the parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case. Love for my country and voters is bigger and more important than my own position.’

He expressed hope that in years to come, he would still be the PM one day with ‘the support of even more Dutch people. If not tomorrow, then the day after. The voice of millions of Dutch people will be heard!’

Wilders has spent months in talks with the centre-right VVD, New Social Contract (NSC) and BBB farmers’ parties to try and form a coalition government.

In the elections which took place in November last year, his party won 37 seats in the 150-seat parliament and has since then held exploratory coalition talks with three potential rightwing allies. The result had come as a shock to a lot of European countries.

The sticking point, according to reports has been the unwillingness on part of his coalition partners to accept some of his manifesto pledges, which includes a ban on mosques, the Qur’an and Islamic headscarves, along with a referendum to leave the EU, just like England did.

Wilders announcement comes a day ahead of a report likely to be tabled talking about the progress made in the talks with coalition partners.

However, media reports have said that the coalition partners are still considering a plan where they would remain in parliament and not join the new government.

Wilders, a critic of Islam has kept a keen eye on Indian politics and has time and again said that he would always support Hindus who were threatened in Pakistan or Bangladesh.