Far-right firebrand Geert Wilders has renounced his claim to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands.
The news comes after weeks of troubled coalition talks between Wilders, whose anti-Islam Freedom Party won the most votes in elections last year, and three other parties: the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy of outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte, the center-right New Social Contract, and the BBB populist farmers’ party.
According to Dutch public broadcaster NOS, the other party leaders had demanded Wilders give up the post of prime minister as a condition to continue talks.
“I can only become prime minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case,” Wilders said Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter.
It would be the first time since 1982 that the leader of the winning party in a Dutch general election didn’t become prime minister.
Wilders said his decision had been motivated by his desire to enable the formation of a right-wing cabinet.
“Less asylum and immigration. Dutch on 1. The love for my country and voter is great and more important than my own position,” Wilders said on X.
The other party leaders involved in coalition talks have already recused themselves from the PM job. At the time of publication, none had reacted to Wilders’ statement.
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