Dutch gov't formation stalled; Deadline extension to be requested

Informateur Mariette Hamer is having a difficult time finding parties willing to work together in the next Dutch cabinet. She will not meet her Sunday deadline for this task and will request an extension on Friday, sources in The Hague told broadcaster NOS.

Hamer, the chairman of social and economic council SER, was appointed formation informateur three weeks ago. She was given the tasks to look at the development of a recovery plan for after the coronavirus crisis, and to find parties who want to form a cabinet together. But this proved to be very complicated. The VVD and CDA do not want to work with the left-wing parties GroenLinks and PvdA. GroenLinks and PvdA will not be in a cabinet without each other. And the D66 does not want to rule with the ChristenUnie again.

This week, Hamer had conversations with all kinds of compositions of these six parties. On Thursday she spoke separately with D66 leader Sigrid Kaag, PvdA leader Lilianne Ploumen, GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver, and ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers. But she was unable to find a combination of parties that hold a majority in parliament and the Senate, and are willing to negotiate forming the next cabinet together.

Exactly how much extra time Hamer will ask for, is not yet clear. But it seems that previously expressed hopes for a quick cabinet formation have all be dashed.