"Geert Wilders Abandons Dutch Prime Minister Bid Despite Election Victory"

Far-right leader Geert Wilders, whose party won the most seats in the Dutch parliamentary elections, has abandoned his bid to become the next prime minister after failing to secure coalition support. Despite his party's strong showing, potential coalition partners refused to back him, citing his inflammatory anti-Islam, anti-immigration, anti-European Union, and Ukraine-skeptic platform as beyond the pale. This represents a reassertion of the "cordon sanitaire," a principle where mainstream parties refuse to cooperate with certain populist parties, and reflects a broader trend in Europe where center-right parties have been willing to build coalitions with more extremist groups. Wilders, however, remains determined to become prime minister in the future.