The Netherlands veers sharply to the right with new government

Geert Wilders is leader of the far-right party PVV (Peter Dejong/AP)

Anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders and three other party leaders agreed on a coalition deal early on Thursday that veers the Netherlands towards the hard right, capping a half year of tumultuous negotiations that still left it unclear who will become prime minister.

The “Hope, courage and pride” agreement introduces strict measures on asylum seekers, scraps family reunification for refugees and seeks to reduce the number of international students studying in the country.