VVD's new leader Dilan Yeşilgöz does not rule out working with Geert Wilders' PVV

New VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius has not ruled out working with the far-right party PVV. She told journalists on Friday that she is keeping the door open for cooperation with Geert Wilders’ party, NOS reported.

De VVD sluit de PVV van Wilders niet op voorhand uit voor samenwerking: ‘Ik zal lijsttrekkers van partijen beoordelen op basis van hun voorstellen.’ pic.twitter.com/PDqScGGFy2

— Valentijn Bartels (@tijnbartels) August 18, 2023

Outgoing Justice Minister and new VVD leader, Yeşilgöz, plans to await the PVV's election program, after which the voters will decide. I have to see what Mr. Wilders comes up with now," she remarked.

Yeşilgöz highlighted that shortly after the fall of the Cabinet, Wilders spoke of a fresh start. "Let him mainly come up with his plans," she said. "And then, the question to ask is: is he constructively participating in discussions, or is he sidelining himself?"

The new VVD leader might even delay decisions until after the election results. "The voters take the first step," Yeşilgöz said. She considers the debate to be mainly "The Hague stuff." "My main concern is: Who sits at the table, and with what intentions?," she added.

Yeşilgöz officially became the new leader of the VVD on Monday. Her stance marks a distinct departure from Rutte's position, who rejected the idea of a government coalition with the PVV for eleven years.

The first Rutte cabinet in 2010 relied on the PVV for confidence and supply to ensure a majority. However, it collapsed in 2012 when Wilders opposed new austerity measures.

Before the 2017 elections, Rutte stated that for any potential cooperation, Wilders needed to retract his "fewer Moroccans" comment. In 2018, he admitted that collaborating with the PVV in his first cabinet was the biggest mistake of his career.

Yeşilgöz condemned Wilders' 2014 "fewer Moroccans" statement. "But I want to focus on the future," she said on Friday.

Despite past tensions in the Cabinet, Wilders expressed a willingness to collaborate with the VVD after the fall of the Cabinet."We need to move past our egos," he said.

Outgoing Prime Minister Rutte, during his weekly press conference, conveyed complete support for Yeşilgöz's new direction. "Time moves forward," he observed.

Rutte is het eens met deze nieuwe lijn en denkt nu anders over de eerdere blokkade van de PVV. "De tijd schrijdt voort." https://t.co/6FWQHq5SVp pic.twitter.com/bWtMgnyo7b

— Frans van Heest (@fcvheest) August 18, 2023