Dutch politician Geert Wilders says forming a minority government with himself as prime minister is a possibility, following last week's election in which his Freedom Party (PVV) won the most seats.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after his first meeting with the "scout" appointed to handle the initial phase of what are expected to be lengthy coalition talks, Wilders said he would be "strong but reasonable" in discussions with potential partners.
The possibility of a minority cabinet arose shortly after the election when the conservative VVD Party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte — which shares many of Wilders' anti-immigration positions — said it would not join a Wilders-led cabinet but did not exclude offering him outside support.
Wilders, whose party took around 24% of the vote, will need to work with at least two more moderate parties to form a coalition.
He said he told the scout his preference is to work with the VVD, the centre-right "New Social Contract" Party (NSC) and the conservative Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), which together would command a solid majority in both houses of Dutch parliament.
Netherlands politician Wilders says minority cabinet an option
NSC Party 'not ready' to negotiate with far-right leader
Dutch politician Geert Wilders says forming a minority government with himself as prime minister is a possibility, following last week's election in which his Freedom Party (PVV) won the most seats.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after his first meeting with the "scout" appointed to handle the initial phase of what are expected to be lengthy coalition talks, Wilders said he would be "strong but reasonable" in discussions with potential partners.
The possibility of a minority cabinet arose shortly after the election when the conservative VVD Party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte — which shares many of Wilders' anti-immigration positions — said it would not join a Wilders-led cabinet but did not exclude offering him outside support.
Wilders, whose party took around 24% of the vote, will need to work with at least two more moderate parties to form a coalition.
He said he told the scout his preference is to work with the VVD, the centre-right "New Social Contract" Party (NSC) and the conservative Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), which together would command a solid majority in both houses of Dutch parliament.
That is the "logical, right combination", Wilders said, adding that the most important thing was that the parties agreed to talks on how they might cooperate.
NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt on Wednesday said his party is not ready to negotiate over forming a government with Wilders.
He told reporters he sees problems due to parts of the PVV platform that contradict the Dutch constitution.
The VVD's new leader Dilan Yesilgoz on Wednesday said her party's faction in parliament was willing to cooperate with a minority PVV-NSC-BBB cabinet on matters including "migration, building more houses and lowering the cost of living."
"We can work out the precise form of the cooperation together," she said in a post on the X social media platform.
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