Parliamentary majority wants debate on leaked formation notes

A majority in parliament wants the newly elected parliament to debate with former cabinet formation pathfinders Kasja Ollongren and Annemarie Jorritsma about leaked notes on their formation process. Exactly when and how this debate will happen, is unclear, NOS reports.

On Thursday, a photographer managed to take a picture of some of the formation notes as Ollongren was carrying them. Among other things, the document mentioned CDA parliamentarian Pieter Omtzigt, with the words "function elsewhere", and CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra and his negotiation style. Ollongren and Jorritsma stepped down as pathfinders as a result. They were replaced by Tamara van Ark and Wouter Koolmees.

The CDA, PvdA, PVV, SP, JA21, PvdD and GroenLinks previously called for a parliamentary debate on the matter. The VVD and D66 now joined the call. 

It is not yet clear when this debate can take place, also because a large number of party leaders are in quarantine awaiting their coronavirus test results. The new Tweede Kamer, lower house of Dutch parliament, will be sworn in on Wednesday, March 31. 

According to NOS, central to this debate is MPs' need to find out who sees CDA parliamentarian Omtzigt as such an obstacle that they want him to not be in parliament. Until this question is answered, parliamentarians may not have enough confidence in the cabinet formation process for the formation to continue, the broadcaster wrote.

VVD leader Mark Rutte already stated that he and D66 leader Sigrid Kaag did not discuss Omtzigt when they met with Ollongren and Jorritsma. Other party leaders also denied it.