The Netherlands' liberal Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) was "intensively" debating a possible coalition with the far-right, Islamophobic Party for Freedom (PVV), dpa quoted VVD leader Mark Rutte as saying today. The VVD won the most seats in this week's general election, but not enough to form a majority government on its own. It was therefore in talks with the PVV, led by Geert Wilders, and the previously- ruling Christian Democrats (CDA). Rutte said that talks with the PVV were ongoing after meeting Queen Beatrice earlier in the day. Wilders also confirmed the talks. His party and that of Rutte were the clear winners in the election, and should therefore discuss a possible coalition with each other first, Wilders said. For his part, Rutte said his party had great reservations about forming a coalition with the social democratic Labour Party (PvdA), led by former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen. Queen Beatrice on Friday invited representatives of all elected parties to one-on-one talks in the Noordeinde Palace in the capital The Hague. According to Rutte, he suggested to her that someone from his party should be tasked with putting together a new government. The 43-year-old told reporters he should "naturally" be the first candidate to be offered the post of prime minister and build a coalition. The VVD won 31 seats in Wednesday's elections, just one more than Cohen's social democrats. The CDA lost 20 seats, dropping to just 21 mandates. Wilders party made a shock gain in Wednesday's election, increasing it number of mandates in the 150-seat parliament from 9 to 24 seats.
