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Seven Lawmakers Break Away from PVV After Wilders Dispute
(MENAFN) Seven legislators from the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) have broken away after a bitter internal clash with party leader Geert Wilders, exposing deep divisions over leadership, strategy, and party structure.
Dutch media reported that the defectors, led by veteran lawmaker Gidi Markuszower, accused Wilders of mismanaging the October election campaign—an effort that resulted in the PVV losing 11 seats—and of blocking the creation of a formal membership system since the party was founded in 2006.
Wilders said the group attempted to force him out, claiming they demanded he resign by July and hand leadership to Markuszower, or face a mass resignation.
“It wasn’t a coup, but an attempt at one,” he said.
Markuszower rejected accusations of a leadership grab, saying the lawmakers acted only after Wilders refused to engage on a four-point reform plan addressing party governance, membership rules, and cooperation with other political groups.
The departures reduce the PVV to 19 seats in the Dutch parliament, dropping it to fourth place behind coalition parties D66 (26 seats), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) (22), and the left-wing GroenLinks–PvdA alliance (20).
The snap election was triggered when Wilders withdrew the PVV—then holding 37 seats—from the previous right-wing coalition in July over disputes on asylum policy.
The breakaway lawmakers also urged a softer stance toward the incoming minority government formed by D66, VVD, and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). They criticized the PVV’s reliance on confrontational social media messaging about Islam, arguing such tactics “ultimately do not solve any of the electorate’s problems” and risk long-term political decline.
Polling data shows the PVV continuing to lose support, while rival far-right groups Forum voor Democratie (FVD) and JA21 gain traction.
Calling the split a “black day,” Wilders said he would stay on as leader and pledged to keep the PVV a forceful opposition presence.
Separately, D66 confirmed it is preparing legislation that would mandate formal membership structures for all Dutch political parties.
Dutch media reported that the defectors, led by veteran lawmaker Gidi Markuszower, accused Wilders of mismanaging the October election campaign—an effort that resulted in the PVV losing 11 seats—and of blocking the creation of a formal membership system since the party was founded in 2006.
Wilders said the group attempted to force him out, claiming they demanded he resign by July and hand leadership to Markuszower, or face a mass resignation.
“It wasn’t a coup, but an attempt at one,” he said.
Markuszower rejected accusations of a leadership grab, saying the lawmakers acted only after Wilders refused to engage on a four-point reform plan addressing party governance, membership rules, and cooperation with other political groups.
The departures reduce the PVV to 19 seats in the Dutch parliament, dropping it to fourth place behind coalition parties D66 (26 seats), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) (22), and the left-wing GroenLinks–PvdA alliance (20).
The snap election was triggered when Wilders withdrew the PVV—then holding 37 seats—from the previous right-wing coalition in July over disputes on asylum policy.
The breakaway lawmakers also urged a softer stance toward the incoming minority government formed by D66, VVD, and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). They criticized the PVV’s reliance on confrontational social media messaging about Islam, arguing such tactics “ultimately do not solve any of the electorate’s problems” and risk long-term political decline.
Polling data shows the PVV continuing to lose support, while rival far-right groups Forum voor Democratie (FVD) and JA21 gain traction.
Calling the split a “black day,” Wilders said he would stay on as leader and pledged to keep the PVV a forceful opposition presence.
Separately, D66 confirmed it is preparing legislation that would mandate formal membership structures for all Dutch political parties.
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