Cabinet formation advice: D66, CDA start negotiating, VVD sidelined for now

The D66 and CDA must draw up a “positive agenda” over the next three weeks to break the deadlock in the Cabinet formation process, formation scout Wouter Koolmees (D66) recommended. The VVD is sidelined for now because the liberal party refused to negotiate with GroenLinks-PvdA, NOS reports.

So far, every majority coalition has been blocked, Koolmees said after concluding the first phase of the formation process - mapping out which parties are willing to work with whom and under what conditions. The idea is for D66 and CDA to reach agreements on five major topics that often pose sticking points among the various political parties: migration, housing, security and defense, nitrogen emissions, and the economy and business investment climate. “Then other parties can assess whether they see any starting points to collaborate,” Koolmees said.

The D66 won 26 seats in the parliamentary election and the CDA 18, both significant increases compared to the previous election. The VVD won 22 seats, a decrease of two. Still, being sidelined was a bitter pill to swallow for VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz. “The VVD is wary of time-consuming steps,” she wrote on X after Koolmees presented his recommendation. She has been gunning for a coalition with the D66, CDA, and JA21, which would have 75 seats in parliament - one short of a majority.

Koolmees said that the VVD brought its banishment to the waiting room upon itself by refusing to negotiate with GroenLinks-PvdA. “D66 and CDA are winners of the elections, haven’t blocked any parties, and can look for support left and right,” Koolmees explained his decision. If the VVD were involved, JA21 is really the only option for further support.

Koolmees stressed that the D66 and CDA face a challenging task, because they’ll also have to consider the wishes of other parties in the negotiations. GroenLinks-PvdA and BBB will remain essential for support in the Senate until at least 2027, he pointed out. It will also be a risk for the two parties, because after their joint negotiations, they’ll have to negotiate with other parties and may have to make further concessions.

D66 leader Rob Jetten and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal are ready for the task. Jetten promised to take other parties into account as much as possible. “It won’t be an agenda that only D66 and CDA voters will be happy about.” He acknowledged the risks involved, calling them necessary. “If we continue to avoid all risks, the new Cabinet will not get any closer.”

Bontenbal hopes this will be the first step toward a stable coalition. "I hope enough comes out of it for other parties to jump on the bandwagon," the CDA leader said. “It would be easier for us to sit back. But I want to do politics differently. I didn’t get into this profession to be a coward.”

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, will debate Koolmees’ recommendation on Thursday and appoint informateurs to guide this next step in the formation process. They must present their report on the D66 and CDA negotiations by December 9th at the latest.