Care plan crisis meeting continues today

The government parties VVD and PvdA will continue their meetings for finding a solution to their conflict over Minister Edith Schippers' (Public Health, VVD) healthcare plan today. According to the key role players, some progress has been made in the talks so far. The talks continue with the expectation that they "can lead to a positive outcome", said Prime Minister Mark Rutte late last night after he and other leaders of the VVD and PvdA spoke in the Torentje. Yesterday the Prime Minister told the PvdA that they have until 10:00 this morning to come up with a solution. According to Second Chamber chairman Van Miltenburgh, the Prime Minister will be available this morning for a detailed explanation, but he is expected in Brussels this afternoon for meetings with his European colleagues. On Tuesday three PvdA senators unexpectedly voted against Minister Schippers' care reform, thereby putting the relationships in the coalition parties in danger. Since then the coalition parties have been working to limit the fallout caused by this unexpected turn of events. Both Schippers and the PvdA senators are refusing to bend. Yesterday Schippers had an hour long meeting with one of the dissidents, Marjike Linthorst. Schippers put an unilateral proposal on the table: The PvdA senators may outline the General Administrative Order, an elaboration of the practical details of the law. If they do so in a way that the minister, the VVD and the three constructive opposition parties (D66, ChristenUnie and SGP) can agree to it, Schippers will again hand her law in at the Second Chamber. The PvdA leaders spent the rest of the day in consultation with its senators and others involved. Just before the crisis meeting in the Torentje last night, PvdA leader Diederik Samsom said that he could not yet see a solution to the dispute about the rejected healthcare act. "There isn't a solution yet. There are constructive talks", Samson said as he arrived at the Torentje of Prime Minister Rutte. After the crisis meeting, Samson seemed more positive. He still sees possibilities to solve the political problem with the VVD. Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher (PvdA) also has "high hopes for a solution".