LONDON

Seven lawmakers from the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) have left following a dispute with its leader Geert Wilders over its strategy and structure.

According to local media reports, the breakaway group, led by long-serving member of parliament (MP) Gidi Markuszower, criticized Wilders’ handling of the election campaign in October, which saw the PVV lose 11 seats, as well as his refusal to establish a formal membership system since the party’s founding in 2006.

Wilders said the MPs had presented him with an ultimatum to step down by July in favor of Markuszower, warning they would quit if he refused.

“It wasn’t a coup, but an attempt at one,” he said.

Markuszower denied attempting a takeover, saying the group had been left with no choice after Wilders refused to discuss a four-point plan for the party’s future, including membership reforms and closer cooperation with other parties.

The split leaves the PVV with 19 MPs in the Dutch parliament, making it the fourth largest faction behind the coalition parties D66 (26) and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD (22), and the left-wing GroenLinks-PvdA alliance (20).

Wilders triggered the election when he pulled his party, which had 37 seats in parliament, out of the last right-wing coalition in July over disagreements on asylum rules.

The dissenters called for a less hostile approach towards the incoming minority coalition of D66, VVD and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

They also criticized the party’s continued focus on provocative social media campaigns targeting Islam, saying such tactics “ultimately do not solve any of the electorate’s problems” and threaten the party’s future.

Opinion polls suggest the PVV’s support has continued to decline, with rival far-right parties Forum voor Democratie (FVD) and JA21 gaining ground.

Wilders described the defections as a “black day” but vowed to remain party leader and keep the PVV as a vocal opposition force.

Meanwhile, D66 is drafting legislation that would require all Dutch political parties to have formal membership systems.