Week after shock Wilders win, Dutch government talks set to begin

By Bart Meijer

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Talks to form a new Dutch government were set to start on Tuesday, almost a week after the upset election victory of anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders, with a former government minister picked to sound out workable coalitions.

The appointment of Ronald Plasterk, a former Labour party minister, as "scout" to explore possibilities followed a chaotic week in which outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative VVD party ruled out joining a government led by Wilders - narrowing the options for the election winner.

Wilders' PVV was the clear winner in the Nov. 22 election, but with just 24% of the vote it needs support from more moderate parties in order to form a government. Wilders' first pick as scout had to resign before his first meeting after reports he was fighting a fraud charge.

"We made a false start," parliament chairwoman Vera Bergkamp said. "Now it's important to get on the right track and start the talks."

Plasterk served as interior and education minister for Labour between 2007 and 2017, but in recent years has turned into one of the party's fiercest critics as a columnist for the right-leaning Telegraaf newspaper.

In his most recent column, published a day after last week's vote, he said the formation of a government should be relatively easy as voters had made it clear they wanted a right-wing government that included Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV), the VVD and the centrist upstart NSC.

However, the forming of a government in the fractured Dutch political landscape usually takes months, and so far there are no signs this time will be different.

New VVD leader Dilan Yesilogz has said her party would support measures proposed by a rightwing government, but would not join a Wilders-led cabinet itself.

NSC-leader Pieter Omtzigt stressed during the campaign that cooperation would be difficult as he said Wilders' extreme stances, including seeking a total ban on mosques and the Koran in the Netherlands, would violate Dutch constitutional protections on freedom of religion.

Following his election victory, Wilders said he would aim to be a prime minister "for all" in the Netherlands, and that his government would not take any measures that would be deemed unconstitutional.

The Labour/GreenLeft combination, which was the runner-up in the election, has ruled out working with Wilders in any way.

Plasterk is expected to present his findings on Dec. 5, after which the parties seen as making up the most viable coalition will start negotiations on a government agreement.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Frances Kerry)