Wilders tests new coalition's "religious criticism" boundary, calling Islam "disgusting"

A few days before a Cabinet containing ministers from the far-right PVV is installed for the first time, party leader Geert Wilders lashed out fiercely against Islam in a post on social media. Wilders said the religion "is a disgusting, reprehensible, violent and hateful religion" on Wednesday.

He invoked the coalition agreement's caveat that "criticism of religion" is allowable, and the four parties in the coalition agreed to uphold the basic rule of law. Wilders made his statement in the context that he has endured "20 years of protection, safe houses, 5 fatwas, thousands of death threats and visits to many Islamic countries."

Recently, there has been a discussion in Parliament about what does and does not fall within the boundaries of the baseline coalition agreement, as became apparent during various hearings with prospective ministers and state secretaries. For example, the prospective PVV deputy prime minister, Fleur Agema, was asked about previous statements about "de-Islamisation."

PVV ministers Marjolein Faber (Asylum and Migration) and Reinette Klever (Foreign Trade) were also questioned about their belief in the Great Replacement conspiracy theory about immigrants "repopulating" Western countries. Additionally, intended State Secretary Chris Jansen (PVV, Infrastructure) did not want to renounce an earlier tweet supporting Geert Wilders' call for "fewer, fewer, fewer" Moroccans.

While PVV ministers in particular were called to account for their past statements, ministers and state secretaries of VVD and NSC were also asked what they thought of such statements. VVD Minister Sophie Hermans (Climate) said she would address fellow Cabinet members if they used such language again. PVV leader Geert Wilders will not be in the Cabinet, but will continue to lead the party he formed from the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament.

Coalition partners VVD, NSC and BBB were not available on Wednesday evening to comment on whether they thought Wilders' statements on X were in line with the agreement. Earlier in the formation, NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt stopped negotiating with the other parties, because previous statements by PVV members led to divide over support for the "rule of law" and equal treatment of all people in the Netherlands.

Omtzigt said he found the divide with Wilders' party impossible to bridge. He then indicated that he only wanted to tolerate a minority Cabinet, but later committed himself to the new right-wing coalition.