Democrats suggest coalition with Socialists, Labour party instead of Christian party

D66 leader Alexander Pechtold thinks that a coalition with the VVD, CDA, D66, SP and PvdA is a solid formation for the new Dutch government. He asked negotiation mediator Edith Schippers to invite the socialists and labour party to the negotiations, rather than Christian party ChristenUnie, NU.nl reports.

Pechtold believes that the VVD, CDA, D66, SP and PvdA will make a combination that can connect progressively and conservatively. Together the five parties also have a stable majority in both the lower house of parliament and the Senate.

The D66 leader is still hesitant about forming a government with the ChristenUnie, calling such a coalition "undesirable" last week. The D66 and ChristenUnie differ greatly on a number of points, specifically on medical-ethics issues such as allowing assisted suicide for people who feel they've lived a full and complete life. The ChristenUnie is also strictly opposed to regulated cannabis cultivation, another point the D66 has been fighting for for years.

VVD leader Mark Rutte again said on Monday that he still wants a four-party coalition with a majority in both the Tweede Kamer (lower house) and Eerste Kamer (Senate). In addition to the VVD, CDA and D66 he would consider the SP, ChristenUnie or PvdA to make up the fourth party, RTL Nieuws reports.

The problem with that is that the SP refuses to work with the VVD. And the PvdA does not want to take part in the next government after losing a massive 29 parliamentary seats in the election in March. And with the D66 and ChristenUnie also at odds, and almost everyone refusing to work with anti-Islam nationalist party PVV, proceeding will be difficult.

This second round of formation talks was launched after negotiations between the VVD, CDA, D66 and GroenLinks fell apart. The party leaders only said that the topic of migration was where the talks stalled. Sources told NRC that GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver decided to give up on the negotiations over an asylum deal with north African countries, similar to the asylum deal between Turkey and the EU. There was also talk of the negotiations being made difficult by CDA leader Sybrand Buma refusing to agree to any green measures.