Talks to form a far right-led coalition government in the Netherlands falter

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Talks to form a far right-led government in the Netherlands have come to a premature end, for now. That’s left the Netherlands in limbo amid a stalled move to build a political coalition around anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders. Wilders’ Party for Freedom, or PVV, swept to victory in the country’s November parliamentary election on campaign pledges that included slashing immigration. He was in talks with the leaders of three other parties to form a government that would have held a solid majority in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament. But tensions came to a head Tuesday night when the leader of the New Social Contract party walked out of the coalition talks.