Rand ten weeks after the general election in the Netherlands, right-wing populist Geert Wilders' coalition talks with 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. Party leader Pieter Omtzigt announced this in the evening. 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.
Right-wing populist Wilders reacted soberly on the X platform (formerly Twitter): “Incredibly disappointing. The Netherlands wants this government, and now Pieter Omtzigt is throwing in the towel while we were still talking until today. I don't understand that at all. ” 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.