The Guardian view on the Netherlands: a radical-right reset

Geert Wilders will see a fragile coalition deal as a chance to turn a core EU member state into a disruptive rebel

As tractor protests broke out last year over plans to slash nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands’ agricultural sector, one conspiracy theory suggested farmland was to be taken over to house asylum seekers. This was not true. But the rumours illustrated how easily anxieties over the green transition could be used to buttress a toxic and divisive political agenda. The opening was duly exploited by the veteran far‑right politician Geert Wilders, whose anti‑immigration Freedom party won most votes in last November’s election. Its platform included a pledge to leave the Paris agreement on climate change.

Thankfully, this commitment does not feature in the landmark coalition agreement Mr Wilders has just struck with three other conservative parties. Nor, after six months of tortured negotiations, do campaign promises to ban Islamic schools and mosques, and hold a referendum on leaving the EU. Reluctantly, Mr Wilders has also accepted that no coalition will be possible with him as prime minister, and the search for a viable candidate goes on. But the good news stops there.