D66, VVD, and CDA report major progress on financial agreements after overnight talks

Negotiations between D66, VVD, and CDA over the finances for the incoming Dutch government have made significant progress, but the deal is not yet finalized, party leaders said Sunday morning.

D66 leader and designated Prime Minister Rob Jetten said after overnight discussions that the parties are “really very far” in reaching agreements on financial matters. “But unfortunately, it is not completely finished,” he added.

CDA leader Henri Bontenbal had hoped that an agreement could be reached Saturday, but talks extended past midnight. “Perhaps that hope was a form of naïveté or too much optimism,” Bontenbal said shortly after midnight. The negotiations are scheduled to resume at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz noted that multiple days will be needed to present the agreement to the parliamentary factions of the three parties and to have civil servants review the plans. She confirmed that the talks must be completed by Tuesday at the latest for the coalition accord to be presented on Friday.

The leaders declined to provide detailed information about the discussions. Jetten described the talks as “constructive conversations. But, yes, you still want to feel each other out in this final phase of the formation to get a solid agreement.” Yeşilgöz added: “There are various subjects where we are really still trying to align. As is typical in the final stage of negotiations, the difficult issues — which you may temporarily set aside or examine further — keep resurfacing.”