Former European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, leader of a left-wing coalition in the Netherlands, on Wednesday ruled out any cooperation in forming a government with Geert Wilders, the far-right candidate who won the country’s elections.
Timmermans rejected any support from the left (PvdA and Greens) for a possible government that Wilders is part of, during meetings on government formation, initiated today by social democrat Ronald Plasterk with party leaders.
“This is impossible, it is not possible,” Timmermans said after the meeting with Plasterk, explaining that the PvdA-GL cannot govern with a party that “does not respect the Constitution” and “excludes large groups of people” in the Netherlands.
Wilders asked Plasterk to investigate a possible coalition between the far-right PVV party, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD, liberal), the Christian Democrats (NSC) and the Farmers’ Party (BBB).
The PVV stated that it envisaged the ‘de-Islamization’ of the country, the end of immigration and asylum and a referendum on the Netherlands’ accession to the European Union (‘Nexit’), although Wilders promised to moderate his speech and temporarily postpone the elections. the most urgent issues, controversial and sensitive.
“Anyone who wants to keep something in the refrigerator means that he wants to get it fresh later,” says Timmermans.
Wilders assured today that he does not intend to deport “anyone” from the Netherlands if the future government is formed.
“I am on the side of all Dutch people. No one should doubt that. We are not going to deport anyone. We are there for everyone: Christians, Muslims, non-believers. There is no reason to doubt that.” he said.
Timmermans refused to comment on a possible collaboration between parties with which he would form a coalition government, because he considered it “extremely unlikely” that this possibility could still exist.
The left-wing leader also stated that he will try to win the next elections with a “united left”, although he also promised a “strong opposition” against a possible far-right government.
Timmermans’ left-wing party, PvdA-GL, won 25 of the 150 seats in the Dutch parliament, just behind Wilders’ PVV, which won 37 seats, and ahead of Mark Rutte’s right-wing liberals (VVD), who lost ten seats. , leaves 24.
VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz wants to support the formation of a ‘center-right’ government between the PVV, the CDA and the farmers’ party BBB.
“We are ready to negotiate the issue,” he said, but support would be given “from Parliament,” he said today, in a non-consensual position within the party.
Source: DN
