Next Dutch PM: Labour party's Ronald Plasterk emerges as Wilders' first choice

As coalition negotiations continue in The Hague, Ronald Plasterk has emerged as a prominent contender for the role of prime minister, sources close to the talks told RTL Nieuws. The former interior minister and longtime member of Dutch Labour party PvdA is seen as Geert Wilders' preferred candidate to succeed caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and lead a new extra-parliamentary Cabinet.

Plasterk helped guide the first rounds of talks between Wilders' far-right PVV and the NSC, BBB, and Rutte's VVD, now led by Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz. Talks between the four parties have been ongoing since the November elections, and briefly broke down in February. To get the process back on track, the four party leaders agreed that none of them would become the next prime minister, and would instead return to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament.

As the leader of the largest party, Wilders was expected to take the opportunity to nominate a new prime minister. This person would then have to be approved by Yeşilgöz, NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt and BBB leader Caroline van der Plas. The individual's name would then be passed on to the Tweede Kamer to be appointed as a formateur, who then brings the formation talks to a close and begins identifying possible ministers and state secretaries to serve as their Cabinet members.

Plasterk has been with the left-wing PvdA for 46 years, and the party requires someone to resign their membership should they choose to represent another party in the Cabinet, RTL Nieuws reported. Plasterk would then join the PVV.

He served as the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in Mark Rutte's Second Cabinet from 2012 to 2017. Prior to that, he was Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's Minister of Education, Culture and Science from 2007 to 2010.

PVV MP Fleur Agema added fuel to the rumor on Monday. A fake PVV account on X sent out a tweet stating that Plasterk was going to be named the next prime minister. Agema then responded with a smiley emoji with heart-shaped eyes. She is a top advisor to Wilders and has joined some of the Cabinet formation talks. She took the tweet offline.

"I can't say anything about it," Wilders said about Agema's misstep.

Plasterk is not the only name being kicked around. Jacco Vonhof has also emerged as a potential candidate. He is both the head of business lobbying group MKB Nederland and a VVD member. According to RTL Nieuws, his appointment has become unlikely.

Wilders said last weekend that he did have a specific candidate in mind that he had already approached that person, saying at this stage it would be "weird" if he had not done so. He would not identify the individual, nor would he say either when he planned to reveal the name to the other three parties.