Decision on whether this Cabinet formation will work by mid-May: formation leaders

Formation leaders Richard van Zwol and Elbert Dijkgraaf plan to know by May 15 whether a Cabinet with PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB will work, they said after Tuesday’s negotiations. The right-wing parties are still discussing asylum, social security, and finances, but the discussions are going very well, Dijkgraaf said, NOS reports.

On Tuesday, the four parties discussed the asylum policy. According to sources, they were considering declaring an “asylum crisis” so they could take emergency measures, like not accepting any new asylum applications for a time.

The formation leaders would not comment on that. “As always, there are all kinds of things on the table.” They stressed that decisions will only be “made at the end.”

After Tuesday’s talks, NSC leader Pieter Omtzig suggested that asylum was the only issue still open. “I won’t talk about the state of the negotiations,” he said. “But if we were to agree on asylum, then I think we would have agreed on everything.”

VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz said that all four parties can feel the deadline approaching. “We all realize that we really need to come out with a story,” she said. “Or say we are stuck, but I don’t think anyone wants that. Certainly not me.”

The PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB leaders will meet again on Wednesday.