Prime minister Mark Rutte told a television talk show on Friday evening he had pledged to decimate the anti-immigration PVV in a moment of weakness after Geert Wilders pulled out of austerity talks.

The statement pledging to destroy the PVV came out of anger, Rutte told the Pauw & Witteman show. Rutte admitted he had not spoken to the PVV leader since the talks collapsed last month but said he believed his ‘personal relationship’ with Wilders remained good.

In addition, Rutte said he would not focus on the PVV during the election campaign. Nor would he rule out forming a coalition with Wilders again, although he said it would be unlikely. ‘But then I do not rule our working with the Socialist Party either,’ the prime minister said.

Nevertheless, Rutte said: ‘Wilders did walk away from his responsibilities and thus a vote for the PVV is a lost vote’.

In a reaction, Wilder told Nos radio the prime minister appeared to be in a panic. ‘He won’t manage to destroy the PVV but that is what he is doing to the Netherlands,’ Wilders said.

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