Populist firebrand Geert Wilders has conceded that he will not become the next prime minister of the Netherlands because his potential coalition backers have refused to back him. Wilders’ far-right Freedom party (PVV) sent shockwaves through Europe after coming first in Dutch parliamentary elections late last year, securing 23.5% of the vote and 37 seats out of 150 available in what observers dubbed the Netherlands’ “Trump moment.” But, after weeks of negotiations, Wilders failed to reach an agreement with other parties and announced he would not lead the next government. “I can only become Prime Minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case. I would like a right-wing cabinet. Less asylum and immigration. Dutch number one,” Wilders wrote Wednesday on X. “The love for my country and voter is great and more important than my own position,” he added. Wilders had hoped to form…
