After many months of negotiations, a truly rightist coalition government as envisioned by nationalist PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid) leader Geert Wilders is finally coming into view.
In last November’s parliamentary elections, Wilders’ party reigned supreme, having convinced nearly a quarter of all Dutch of its policies for an invigorated Netherlands, clinching an impressive 37 of the 150 seats in parliament—and doubling its presence there.
Despite the obvious democratic legitimacy given Wilders by voters to succeed Mark Rutte as prime minister, his coalition partners (the VVD, the NSC, and the BBB) considered the Dutch firebrand ill-fitted for that office, forcing Wilders to drop that ambition.
The next best thing, however, is being the largest entity in a rightist cabinet. In the early hours of Wednesday, following a long day of talks, and running on little sleep, Wilders said that, while some work remained to be done that day, the process was almost complete: “I can’t see how this can go wrong at this point,” he told Dutch press, adding that when that day comes, it would be a “historic day” for his party.
According to Wilders, the major hurdles, including finalizing an agreement on finance policy, had been cleared—a sense of optimism shared by other party leaders Dilan Yesilgöz (VVD), Pieter Omtzigt (NSC), and Caroline van der Plas (BBB).
Van Der Plas, Wilders’ closest ally within the coalition, proved the most elated of all three.
According to her, all that remains to be done on Wednesday is a“dotting of the i’s,” referring to the difficult dossier of finances in particular. It “can’t go wrong anymore,” the leader said. “We have always believed in it, have always been optimistic and not without reason.”
NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt also says they are “close to an agreement.” VVD leader Yesilgöz speaks of “a good day,” and of “walking out of the latest talkies relieved” but that “a few points” need to be elaborated upon, though she did not disclose which those were.
Still up in the air is who will become prime minister. Though Wilders himself is out, he is to nominate a candidate later in the day.
One name which has recently been making the rounds in The Hague as a potential PM candidate is former coalition scout (and member of the socialist PvdA) Ronald Plasterk: Insiders claim Wilders has the well-respected former minister in mind for the job.
If he sticks to a faithful execution of his rightist cabinet’s political program, the serene Plasterk—given the respect he enjoys across the Dutch political spectrum—could very well be the right choice at this moment in time.
