AMSTERDAM—With the days growing shorter here in the rainy, cloudy Netherlands, and the 2023 calendar running out of pages, the political outlook for next year remains decidedly overcast. Negotiations to form a new government following the country’s shock elections in November are going into quiet mode, as Geert Wilders, the far-right provocateur who went from fringe figure to would-be prime minister, tries to cobble together a governing coalition.
After another session of talks with potential partners last week, Wilders announced there would now be “radio silence” on the process. Official progress reports on the Cabinet formation are not expected before February.
As the caretaker government of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte keeps its hands on the rudder awaiting the outcome of coalition talks, a few scenarios look possible. At the moment, the most likely is a weak and unstable government led by Wilders.