Radio silence in this phase of Cabinet formation talks

The party leaders of the PVV, NSC, VVD, and BBB met briefly on Thursday evening for a meeting with informant Ronald Plasterk. Afterward, PVV leader Geert Wilders said, “there will now be a moment of radio silence.” Plasterk agreed: “The flow of information will decrease, which is also normal in a formation and information process.”

According to the informant, only procedural agreements were made on Thursday evening. The intention is that the four party leaders will continue to talk together “as much as possible” in the near future, possibly also with seconds. Next week, “we will be working hard,” Plasterk told the assembled press. A schedule is being drawn up for this. The informant believes there is little chance that discussions will continue during Christmas week.

Plasterk does not expect to give interim reports. “We adhere to the order of parliament.” That means the outside world will “hear news for the first time at the beginning of February at the latest.”

Dilan Yeşilgöz (VVD) and Caroline van der Plas (BBB) did not want to say anything about the content of the short conversation. Wilders and Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) also said nothing of substance.

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, appointed Plasterk as informant on Wednesday. He will lead what Plasterk himself calls a “short information round” with PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB. In that round, the parties will discuss their concerns about the legality of some of the PVV’s positions to see if they can be dispelled. They mainly live at NSC.