VVD face expulsion from European liberals for coalition with PVV – DutchNews.nl

The right-wing liberal VVD faces being expelled from its European “family” following next month’s elections after the group’s leader said co-operating with the far right was a “clear red line”.

The VVD has been criticised by other parties in the Renew Group – which includes the Dutch progressive-liberal D66 – for joining coalition talks with Geert Wilders’s PVV party following last November’s election.

The prospect of the party being expelled has deepened since it agreed to form a right-wing cabinet with the PVV, NSC and BBB.

The coalition agreement includes plans to seek an opt-out from European rules on asylum and migration and cut €1.6 billion from its future contributions to Brussels.

Valérie Hayer, the leader of Renew, told French TV station BFM TV that the option of keeping the VVD in the group was untenable because “they are not respecting our values in forming this alliance.”

Malik Azmani, one of the longest-serving liberal MEPs, was expected to challenge Hayer for the leadership of the group this year, but had to abandon his bid after the VVD joined the coalition talks.

Cordon sanitaire

“The cordon sanitaire [against the far right] has always been respected,” Hayer said. “It’s part of the absolute values of our group and I will make it my responsibility the day after the election to ensure that those values continue to be respected.”

She added that she would be holding talks with the Renew group on June 10, the day after voting finishes across Europe, to discuss the next move.

The liberal parties are forecast to win around 85 of the 720 seats across Europe, five of which would go to the VVD on current polling. D66 are expected to take two.

If the VVD is expelled from Renew, it could seek membership of the hard-right Eurosceptic ECR group, whose members include Brothers of Italy, the party of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s Law and Justice (Pis) party and Spain’s Vox.