Formation leader hopes to get talks going in meeting with Wilders' dream team

Ronald Plasterk is trying to get the Cabinet formation moving in a second round of talks with at least the leaders of the VVD, NSC, PVV, and BBB. These are PVV leader Geert Wilders’ preferred coalition partners. However, the first two parties reacted hesitantly to his outstretched hand. The election results and the parties’ differing positions make it complicated for the formation scout to determine the next step.

On Monday, the scout will receive Geert Wilders (PVV), Caroline van der Plas (BBB), Dilan Yeşilgöz (VVD), and Pieter Omtzigt (NSC).

After the exploratory phase, one or more formation informants are typically appointed to supervise negotiations with parties that could form a specific coalition. Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) thinks it is still too early for such negotiations. He proposed appointing two informants who would enter into discussions with all party leaders to “take stock of what the central tasks are in the coming years.” He says to map out the “priorities, policy preferences, and possible majorities per theme” and then seek solutions.

Omtzigt still hasn’t provided clarity about possible coalitions his party would join. He clearly favors several unusual variants: a minority Cabinet, an extra-parliamentary Cabinet (a Cabinet without a coalition agreement), or a business Cabinet. The NSC leader only wants to consider cooperation with the PVV if it provides more clarity on controversial and anti-constitutional positions, including on Islam. Omtzigt wants to hear more clearly what Wilders meant by his promise to put such positions “on hold.”

The VVD does not want to join coalition negotiations at all. On Saturday, party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz again made it clear in an advertisement in several newspapers that she only wants to be a tolerating partner for the coalition desired by Wilders. BBB leader Caroline van der Plas finds such blockages “unbearable” and has called on the PVV, VVD, and NSC to talk about possible cooperation.

In his second round of exploratory discussions, Plasterk urged several parties to respond to each other’s discussions. It is not yet known who he wants to speak to after Monday.

The initial plan to publish the report on the exploration phase of the formation process on Tuesday turned out to be too ambitious. Plasterk hopes to do that next week.