AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The person named by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders as “scout” to investigate workable governing coalitions after elections in which Wilders won the most seats abruptly resigned on Monday.
Gom van Strien, who was appointed on Friday, said in a statement his position had become untenable after reports emerged over the weekend that he is fighting a fraud charge. He denies wrongdoing.
“The unrest that has arisen about this…(is) not fitting in my eyes with my current work as scout,” Van Strien said.
“Therefore I have informed Geert Wilders and the chairwoman of parliament I will lay down my work as scout immediately.”
Von Strien’s quick resignation underlines the difficulties that face Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) in forming a government after it booked major gains in the Nov. 22 election. With just 24% of the vote, it needs support from at least two more moderate parties in order to form a government.
Early omens have been poor, with the largest conservative party — the VVD Party of outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte — on Friday ruling out serving in a Wilders-led Cabinet, though it said it could consider offering outside support.
Von Strien had been due to meet with VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz on Monday.
Newspaper NRC Handelsblad reported on the previously unpublicized lawsuit facing Van Strien, a PVV senator, over the weekend: he was sued in March by a business subsidiary of Utrecht University for alleged fraud.
Van Strien told the paper in a statement the accusations were baseless and he “rejects them strongly.”
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Peter Graff)
