Labour willing to participate in formation talks as bloc with Greens: report

The parliamentary faction of the PvdA is prepared to form a bloc with GroenLinks in the cabinet formation process, was decided in a faction meeting on Thursday, sources told NOS.

This followed reports that a PvdA-GroenLinks merger would be a possible way to break the formation deadlock. The PvdA still feels that a complete merger is going too far, but the party will be willing to act as one with GroenLinks in the formation process. That means that as far as the formation is concerned, PvdA and GroenLinks will have joint meetings, joint negotiations, and joint decision making. On matters unrelated to the formation, the two parties will hold separate meetings.

Political reporter Wilco Boom is doubtful whether this will be enough to speed up the formation. "They might operate as one faction, but they remain two separate parties with 17 seats together, which the CDA and VVD will not be eager for," he said to NOS.

The two right-wing parties have said from the start of the formation that they don't want a cabinet with both GroenLinks and PvdA, and don't want a five-party cabinet when a four party cabinet would do. The fact that this would make the CDA the smallest party at the negotiation table with its 15 seats, may also be a source of reluctance. "That's not a beckoning perspective for the CDA," Boom said.

The two left-wing parties have said since the start of the formation process that they will govern together and not at all. The fact that they're remaining firm on that point may have finally penetrated in the CDA and VVD, as neither party has said anything negative about working with the two left-wing parties in the past days since the formation process restarted after the summer break, according to AD.

GroenLinks and PvdA have been talking about closer cooperation and maybe an eventual merger for some time, and they're already working together in parliament on a number of subjects.

The green party did not want to comment to NOS about possibly forming a bloc with the PvdA, but did not deny that extensive cooperation is imminent.