Chaos in the Netherlands
Wilders’ government formation agent resigns
November 27, 2023, 11:48 a.m
After the election victory of the right-wing populist Wilders, The Hague is faced with the difficult task of forming a government. This is further complicated by the fact that the mediator in charge of the talks resigned following reports of allegations of fraud.
The talks to form a government following the election victory of right-wing populist Geert Wilders in the Netherlands stalled shortly before the start. Gom van Striem, the mediator hired by Wilders to lead the talks, announced his resignation after media reported allegations of fraud at his former company.
The “unrest” surrounding the reports and the time needed to respond appropriately “do not fit with my job” as a mediator, van Strien explained. The senator from Wilder’s PVV party continued that he had therefore informed Wilders and the President of Parliament of his resignation from the task. Van Strien should have formally started talks on forming a coalition this Monday and met the party leaders.
The PVV won 37 of 150 seats in Wednesday’s election. Forming a government is traditionally difficult in the Netherlands due to the highly fragmented political system. Four or more parties are often needed to form a government. The already not easy task has become even more complicated for Wilders after the leader of the long-standing bourgeois-conservative ruling party VVD indicated that she did not want to join the government.
Wilders’ victory is tantamount to a political earthquake for the Netherlands. The right-wing populist is sometimes compared to former US President Donald Trump because of his violent polemics against immigrants and Muslims.