Nearly six months after the Netherlands went to the polling booths in November 2023, Dutch political parties have reached a provisional coalition agreement for what is shaping up to be the country's most right-wing government in its history.
The elections were won by the Geert Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom (PVV). After initial issues in finding negotiating partners, PVV now reached an agreement with the centre-right parties People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and New Social Contract (NSC), and the rightwing Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB).
"We have a negotiating agreement," Wilders said on Wednesday after the four party leaders had settled the final details of the agreement.
Now, the party groups in the Lower House (Tweede Kamer) still have to confirm the main agreement – something that is not expected to cause any problems with PVV and BBB, but may lead to lengthy discussions with more centrist parties VVD and NSC.
If the provisional agreement is confirmed, this will lead to the most right-wing government the Netherlands has ever had.
Who will be Prime Minister?
The negotiating parties started the final sprint in the formation last Monday. With the exception of Thursday (Ascension Day) and Sunday, they have been negotiating all day – the last few days even into the late evening and night. According to the informants, the financial puzzle was particularly difficult to solve.
In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Wilders said that the formation talks "could no longer go wrong" and the parties met again for the finishing touches on Wednesday. Those final conversations took longer than expected: NSC had originally scheduled a meeting to discuss the agreement at 13:00, but the parties were not ready until around 16:30.
The question of who should become the country's new Prime Minister will be discussed later, Wilders said.
