Latest news with #DilanYeşilgöz
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Dutch VVD rules out coalition with ‘unbelievably untrustworthy' Wilders
The Netherlands' biggest centre-right party has ruled out forming another coalition government with Geert Wilders as its leader called him 'an unbelievably untrustworthy partner' and a 'quitter' who 'puts his own interests above those of the country'. In a significant blow to the far-right firebrand's hopes of returning to power, Dilan Yeşilgöz leader of the VVD, said late on Monday that her party would not enter another government with Wilders after elections, due on 29 October. The anti-Islam politician, who last week pulled the plug on the country's four-party coalition in a row over immigration and asylum policy, 'takes no responsibility whatsoever', Yeşilgöz told RTL TV. 'He has shown that he simply runs away when things get difficult. That's tough for voters, and for the country. Geert Wilders is only interested in Geert Wilders,' she said. In a separate interview with the Telegraaf newspaper, Yeşilgöz said Wilders was 'an unbelievably untrustworthy partner' and that the Netherlands deserved 'adult leadership'. She added: 'We are not going to work with him again.' Yeşilgöz announcement means Wilders is unlikely to be able to be part of a new coalition even if his far-right Freedom party (PVV) finishes first in the elections, since every major political formation has now ruled out working with him. The PVV's shock victory in elections in November 2023 led, after months of fraught talks, to a coalition with the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), centrist New Social Contract (NSC) and liberal-conservative VVD that was sworn in last July. Wilders said last week he was pulling his party's ministers out of the pact after the other three partners refused to sign off on his 10-point plan to reduce immigration, which included turning back all asylum seekers and closing refugee hostels. Polling suggests the PVV has lost support and is now level with the VVD and Green-Labour alliance. Yeşilgöz said her party, which led the Netherlands's four previous governments, would also not consider a confidence-and-supply deal with Wilders. 'In fact, from day one he was someone who couldn't do it and didn't want to do it,' said the VVD leader, whose willingness to work with Wilders before the last election was widely credited with boosting the PVV's vote. 'It all just goes nowhere.' Yeşilgöz said there was still an 'enormous gulf' between the VVD's policies and those of the Green/Labour alliance (GL/PvdA). Most analysts predict either a VVD-led centre-right coalition or a centre-left arrangement headed by GL/PvdA.
The Guardian
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders quits government in dispute over immigration
Update: Date: 2025-06-03T10:18:06.000Z Title: Content: The Guardian's Europe correspondent, Jon Henley, has some detail about the reaction of Geert Wilders' (now former) coalition partners to him leaving the government, a move that will likely trigger snap elections. Here is an extract from his write up: Wilders said the partners refused to adopt his 10-point plan for halting immigration for the purpose of seeking asylum, as he had demanded last week. Legal experts have said several of the proposals are in breach of European human rights laws or the UN refugee convention, to which the Netherlands is a signatory. Dilan Yeşilgöz, the leader of the liberal-conservative VVD party, a coalition member, said prime minister Dick Schoof had urged the leaders to act responsibly before Tuesday's meeting. 'The prime minister, who appealed to us this morning, said that we are facing enormous international challenges, we have a war on our continent, an economic crisis may be coming our way,' Yeşilgöz said. She said she was 'shocked' by Wilders's decision, which she described as 'super-irresponsible'. Another coalition party leader, Caroline van der Plas of the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), said she was very angry, and also called Wilders 'irresponsible'. Nicolien van Vroonhoven of the New Social Contract (NSC) said it was 'incomprehensible'. Wilders's plan includes enlisting the army to secure and patrol the borders, closing refugee accommodation facilities, sending all Syrian refugees home, suspending EU asylum quotas and banning family members joining refugees already in the country. Update: Date: 2025-06-03T10:13:00.000Z Title: Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders quits government in dispute over immigration and asylum policy Content: The Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders has pulled his party out of the country's four-party ruling coalition in a row over immigration and asylum policy, plunging the country into political uncertainty. Wilders, whose Freedom party (PVV) was the biggest in the coalition, said this morning he had informed the prime minister, Dick Schoof, that all PVV ministers would leave the government. Following a brief meeting in parliament of leaders of the four parties that make up the fractious administration, Wilders wrote in a post on X earlier today: No signature for our asylum plans. No changes to the Main Outline Agreement. PVV leaves the coalition. It is unclear what will happen next. The government could attempt to remain in power as a minority administration or call new elections for later this year. Schoof called an emergency cabinet meeting for early afternoon. Stay with us as we will be providing updates on this story – as well as others from throughout Europe – during the day.
