Far-right government in Netherlands after election winner Geert ...

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party Geert Wilders attends a meeting of Dutch parties' lead candidates in The Hague, Netherlands, 24 November, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders, along with three other party leaders, reached a coalition agreement early Thursday. This move steers the Netherlands towards the hard right, concluding a tumultuous six-month negotiation period.

The nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV) party led by Wilders, which emerged as the clear winner of the 22 November election last year, will form a coalition with outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the New Social Contract party (NSC), and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), a party representing the farmers’ protest movement.

It isn’t immediately clear who would be the prime minister to lead the right-wing coalition government, replacing Rutte, who is almost certain to be selected as the new NATO secretary-general.

Who will be the next Dutch PM?

From the beginning, talks have been strained as the VVD and NSC were hesitant to collaborate with Wilders, who advocated for closing mosques and banning the Quran in the Netherlands. To address this reluctance, Wilders moderated some of his anti-EU and anti-Islam stances and indicated his willingness to forgo the role of prime minister, which is traditionally held by the leader of the largest party.

Confirming this, 60-year-old Wilders announced he would not become the next Dutch PM due to an unconventional and experimental “business government” arrangement. “The good news is that we have a negotiators’ agreement, but of course, this is only definitive when the parliamentary parties have also agreed,” Wilders told the Dutch press.

Politicians have not yet revealed who was in the running for the top post. However, Wilders said, “We have spoken about the prime minister today and we will come back to that discussion at a later moment.”

Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right party PVV talks to the media in The Hague, Netherlands, on 24 November, 2023. File Image/AP

In March, the four parties agreed to aim for a partially technocratic government, comprising 50 per cent politicians and 50 per cent from outside politics, reported The Guardian.

The Netherlands last had an “expert” government in 1918, and it’s unclear how this arrangement will function over 100 years later. It has become somewhat of a tradition for Dutch governments to take a long time to form. For instance, the last Rutte government took 271 days to come together.

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The leading candidate appears to be former Education and Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk, who played a key role in overseeing the initial talks.

In November 2023, Plasterk was designated as the scout for the 2023–2024 Dutch cabinet formation, later assuming the role of informateur for coalition negotiations.

Who is Ronald Plasterk?

Plasterk’s academic journey began at a Gymnasium in The Hague, followed by studies at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam, where he earned degrees in biology and economics. He conducted research at institutes in the Netherlands, the United States, and England, focusing on molecular biology and genetics. He later served as a professor and director at various institutions, including the Hubrecht Institute and Utrecht University.

In addition to his academic career, Plasterk has been involved in public service, serving on nonprofit boards and state commissions. He also worked as a political commentator for several publications.

Plasterk entered politics in 2007 as the Minister of Education, Culture, and Science in the Cabinet Balkenende IV. A member of the Labour Party (PvdA), he quickly rose within the party’s ranks, becoming a Member of the House of Representatives in 2010.

Ronald Plasterk, the Netherlands’ former interior minister. File Image/AFP

In 2012, Plasterk ran for the leadership of the PvdA but lost to Diederik Samsom. Despite this setback, he remained a prominent figure in the party, serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Finances.

Plasterk’s tenure as the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte II was marked by his focus on issues such as housing, government transparency, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He took a medical leave of absence in 2016, during which Stef Blok served as acting Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

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Plasterk announced his retirement from national politics in 2016, stating that he would not stand for the election of 2017.

Wilders could announce the candidate for the top job as soon as next week.

With inputs from agencies

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