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

FILE PHOTO: Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party Geert Wilders reacts as he meets the press as Dutch parties' lead candidates meet for the first time after elections, in which far-right politician Geert Wilders booked major gains, to begin coalition talks in The Hague, Netherlands, November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo

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.