Yishilgoz rejects the left and calls for a center-right government without the PVV
VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz stated that she does not intend to enter into a government coalition with the GroenLinks-PvdA party led by Frans Timmermans after the upcoming elections. She confirmed during her appearance on the "RTL Tonight" program on Monday evening that she "does not see that as possible," indicating that she prefers a center-right government without the participation of the PVV party.
Despite the repeated pressure from the program hosts to clarify her position, Yeshilgöz merely stated: "Honestly, I don't think that will succeed. I am completely clear, I don't want that, because I believe this country needs center-right policies." Yeshilgöz had previously ruled out working with the PVV party again, stating in an interview with "De Telegraaf" in June: "We will not work with him anymore," and described the party leader, Geert Wilders, as "an utterly unreliable partner."
On his part, Timmermans did not completely rule out cooperation with the VVD party after the fall of the first Schoof government, but he clarified that the party must first take a step to the left. He added that the VVD party has become very similar to the far-right PVV party, making cooperation with GroenLinks-PvdA extremely difficult.
The VVD party is experiencing a sharp decline in opinion polls, having lost eight seats in just one week, according to the EenVandaag survey, dropping from 23 to 15 seats and exiting the list of the three largest parties for the first time in years.
The party is facing increasing criticism from voters, both regarding the personality of Yishilgoz and the performance of the first Schoof government, which collapsed first due to the withdrawal of the PVV party in June, and then the situation worsened with the departure of the NSC party last month. The division within the party's base is increasing, as some see that the party has moved too far to the right, while others criticize the decision to exclude the PVV from future government cooperation.