DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

20 May 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

VVD leader Mark Rutte says ‘zero’ chance of coalition with Geert Wilders

January 16, 2017
Geert Wilders during the 2012 election campaign. Photo: Depositphotos.com

Prime minister Mark Rutte has made it clear that the right-wing Liberal VVD will not govern with the anti-Islam PVV after the general election. ‘The chance is not 0.1%, but zero,’ Rutte told tv current affairs show Buitenhof on Sunday.

All the other main parties had already categorically ruled out an alliance with the PVV, as had several senior VVD members. Opinion polls indicate the PVV may emerge as the biggest party after the March general election and would therefore take the lead in putting together a new coalition.

Geert Wilders immediately went on the offensive against ‘the arrogance of power’ on Sunday. He called on his voters to show what they feel ‘of this policy of exclusion and castigation’ on March 15’.

The VVD’s position towards the PVV has been a subject of internal discussion for years, the Volkskrant pointed out on Monday.

Fewer Moroccans

Rutte said after Wilders’ ‘fewer Moroccans’ chant in March 2014 that cooperation with him was impossible as long as the PVV leader did not withdraw the remarks. Health minister Edith Schippers has said she felt it was unwise to exclude parties automatically and VVD stalwart Hans Wiegel said in a column in De Telegraaf on Saturday that he was not in favour of boycotting the PVV.

Rutte gave three reasons for his decision: the breakdown of the cooperation between the parties during Rutte’s first government, the PVV’s socio-economic course (‘further to the left than SP’) and principled objections to statements made by Wilders regarding Moroccans and the judiciary.

‘That does not mean that we exclude the PVV’s voters,’ said Rutte. ‘There are many people who feel that politicians no longer represent them, who are very concerned about the country. The people who vote for the PVV are decent people. I want to talk to them, I want to show that Wilders is not the leader to solve the problems’.

The Volkskrant points out that by expressly excluding the PVV, Rutte has been able to head off sustained accusations from the PvdA and GroenLinks in particular that he is creating the possibility of a government with Wilders.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Politics
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Central bank president Knot urges Europe to end dependency on US
Europe's last battlefield: Remembering Texel's Georgian uprising
The wolf's preferred diet is deer and wild boar, research shows
Dutch broadcasters want to discuss Israel's Eurovision role
Dutch travellers, students and exporters to gain from EU-UK deal
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now