New Dutch Cabinet will take its place in the first week of July

The new Cabinet will be sworn in on July 2. That Tuesday morning, the team of ministers will stand on the steps for their formal presentation, according to intended Prime Minister Dick Schoof. "That is now certain."

The traditional photo shoot with King Willem-Alexander will not be held on Monday, July 1, because that is the date in which Keti Koti is celebrated to commemorate the abolition of slavery.

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, is expected to debate the governing statement detailing the Cabinet's plans that same week with the new Prime Minister Schoof. The precise date has yet to be determined.

The Friday before the swearing-in, the proposed Cabinet will hold its founding meeting to deliberate more issues, and come to an agreement over the division of tasks. After the podium photograph moment, the Cabinet team will start working on completing aspects of their cooperation. A coalition agreement will follow with more detailed plans.

Schoof met "pleasant people" on Monday who are "all looking forward to it.” He spoke with, among others, the intended deputy prime ministers from the PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB. They will become important points of contact with the four parliamentary factions, Schoof expects, because he himself is not a member of any party.

The intended prime minister again kept it short when answering questions the press. To questions about prospective PVV minister Marjolein Faber, her past racially charged comments, and involvement in political scandals. He only said, "It is important for us to be judged immediately on our words and actions during the Cabinet period."

It also means that outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte will attend the summit of European heads of state and government on June 27 and 28. At that meeting, a final decision will be made about the distribution of the top posts of the new European Commission.

This week all future ministers will visit Cabinet formation talks leader Richard van Zwol and Schoof. Those talks will take three days. The public hearings of the new ministers and state secretaries in front of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, were expected to start this Thursday and continue next week.

It is the first time that candidate ministers have to pass the Tweede Kamer. A hearing will take place for each department. Only the Prime Minister does not have to submit to a hearing. He also did not respond to a request from GroenLinks-PvdA to do this voluntarily.