VVD, the Centre-right party, rejects involvement in Wilder's Dutch vote cabinet

The largest party in the previous Dutch government has ruled out participating in the next Dutch cabinet following the anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders' significant election victory. The VVD leader, Dilan Yesilgöz, stated that her party needed a different role after losing 10 seats. Political leaders convened to discuss the next steps in forming a coalition, and a scout from Geert Wilders' Freedom party would assess potential participants. The far-right PVV won 37 seats in the election, more than doubling its representation in the parliament. This victory has placed pressure on center and center-right parties to assist in forming a government under Wilders' leadership. Although the Dutch coalition process typically takes several months, initial talks have begun, and Yesilgöz announced that her party would not be part of the upcoming administration due to the "clear signal" from Dutch voters. Without the liberals' support, Wilders will face difficulty in reaching the 76 seats required for a majority. The only other potential partners are the recently-formed centrist New Social Contract and the center-right Farmer Citizens Movement. However, Yesilgöz clarified that her party would be willing to play a constructive role as a tacit partner, supporting a minority government in parliament. Wilders expressed disappointment and criticized the VVD's decision for not participating in negotiations. Commentators highlighted that Wilders himself had supported Mark Rutte's first VVD-led government as a tacit partner, but later triggered its collapse. Wilders now heavily depends on the support of the New Social Contract and the Farmer Citizens Movement. Yesilgöz's decision not to join the cabinet increased pressure on the New Social Contract to form a coalition as it is the only other top-four party available. The announcement, made right before exploratory coalition talks were set to begin, was seen as peculiar and complicating the overall process. The BBB leader, Caroline van der Plas, criticized the center-right liberals for causing the cabinet's collapse in July and accused them of playing party politics instead of considering citizens' desires.