Dutch coalition government dominated by far-right efforts to find a prime minister

The parties that have agreed to form a Dutch coalition dominated by the far right are struggling to find a prime minister and have warned that the search could leave the Netherlands without a fully functional government for months.

Anti-Islam legislator Geert Wilders, who convincingly won November’s election, told lawmakers it might take until after the summer to assemble a technocratic government.

He repeated that he would not become prime minister as part of the outline coalition agreement.

Wilders’ original prime ministerial candidate withdrew earlier this week following reports of his involvement in medical patent fraud.

“It could take one or two months” or even until a crucial parliament meeting in September, he said.

Wilders has been divisive in Dutch politics for the past two decades, and his appointment as prime minister would be seen as a step too far.

“Nobody predicted it would work,” Wilders said of the coalition.

“And I assure you that the government team, including the Prime Minister, will be presented. We will naturally make it work as well.”

Wilders played a key role in building a coalition with outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, the populist Farmers’ Citizens’ Movement and the new centrist New Social Contract party.

By planning to enforce the most restrictive asylum policy in Dutch history, Wilders pushed the Dutch coalition far to the right and obscured the traditional view of the country as an open and tolerant society.

The coalition’s plan also raised questions about the future government’s climate commitments enshrined in EU policies.

The Farmers’ Citizens’ Movement ensured that the agreement included soothing language and concessions for farmers who had their tractors blocking roads during disruptive protests.

Asylum and climate could quickly spark bitter disputes with EU headquarters in Brussels, which oversees the implementation of policies in member states, and lower the nation’s standing as a pillar of the 27-nation bloc that Rutte has carefully cultivated during his nearly 13 years in power.

Rutte remains in the interim position and is seen as a strong candidate to become NATO’s next secretary general this year.

However, his party is in danger of being expelled from the liberal Renew bloc in the European Parliament for its alliance with Wilders.

The Renew Bloc stated that it would not accept a coalition with the far right.