Geert Wilders, once politically isolated by the right-wing liberals (VVD) in the Netherlands, has now secured a majority in the next Government with his Party for Freedom (PVV). The VVD is one of the four right-wing formations present in the coalition agreement reached this Wednesday. Wilders won the November 2023 elections and it took him almost six months of negotiations to come to power. However, he will not be prime minister as he lacked support for that position and will remain in Congress along with the other three leaders of the coalition parties.
The ultra leader supported the agreement, stating that his party will enter the center of power, shifting from being the largest party in the opposition to the largest in the Government. Frans Timmermans, leader of the alliance between social democrats and environmentalists, expressed concern about Wilders’ divisive history. The pact, titled Hope, courage and pride, outlines a new path aimed at gaining the trust of citizens by seriously addressing their concerns. The quartet aims to work constructively with the EU while being critical of further expansion of the union.
The coalition pact discusses a range of measures including strict asylum policies, stronger border control, and exemptions from EU standards on asylum and migration. The agreement also addresses defense spending, national security, education reforms, and environmental policies. The process of forming the new government is expected to take about five weeks, with
