Wilders says colleague's leak of formation document was a "dumb mistake"; No deal yet

According to Geert Wilders, PVV MP Gidi Markuszower’s leak of a formation document was “terrible, very clumsy, but absolutely a mistake.” The man walked into the formation talks holding the draft agreement with the text showing. “That should never have happened. It was a dumb mistake,” the PVV leader said when leaving the negotiations on Monday evening. The talks ended with no coalition agreement reached.

Wilders said he apologized to his fellow negotiators, and the leak didn’t damage the trust between them. “Luckily we laughed about it,” he said, according to NOS.

Wilders said the day’s talks went better than he expected. “A good day, in a good atmosphere.” He said they’ve made progress on parts of the agreement, “but we’re not there yet.”

The other party leaders wouldn’t say much. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz and NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt said nothing at all. BBB leader Caroline van der Plus said that they were on the right track. “I am positive.”

The negotiators discussed numerous topics on Monday, including asylum, housing, agriculture, and finances. “There is progress,” formation leader Elbert Dijkgraaf said after Monday’s meeting. He did not want to make any promises about the negotiations ending in the formation of the new Dutch government. “The top is in sight, but the question is whether we will make it.”

Dijkgraaf and his colleague Richard van Zwol must submit their final report on the past weeks’ negotiations to parliament on May 15—next Wednesday. They wanted this week to be the final week of talks, but they can’t rule out that the party leaders will have to negotiate early next week, too.