VVD, D66 excited to start formation talks with other parties

VVD and D66 want to quickly reconvene with other parties to come to a new government coalition. This is what party leaders Mark Rutte and Sigrid Kaag said after consultation with informateur Mariette Hamer.

The two largest parties in the lower house of Dutch parliament have been working in recent weeks on a document that Kaag now described as "an impetus for a set-up for a coalition agreement". Partly on the basis of this, it is determined which parties can join.

Neither Rutte nor Kaag wanted to say anything about the contents of the document. "I can only say that everyone wants to get there quickly and that I have good hopes," said the caretaker prime minister. He hopes to consult with other parties "soon". But when and in what way, he will leave to the informateur.

"I think we are all in a hurry," said Kaag. She noted that the parties came out of the summer break with "good energy". "Everyone is very serious that we need to achieve a breakthrough."