The ministers of the outgoing cabinet are happy that a breakthrough in the formation was achieved yesterday and that negotiations about a new coalition can now finally start. They emphasize that there is no question that the current cabinet, which resigned in January because of the allowance affair, will continue as usual.
According to Minister Ollongren (Internal Affairs), it will “not be the same club at all”. She points out that after the elections, the four parties “have a different relationship with each other”. In the current coalition, the CDA is the second largest party, but at the formation table it is now D66.
“We never entered the elections with this coalition,” says the D66 minister, “and we did not come out with this coalition either.” As far as she is concerned, the outcome, after more than six months of hassle, is that four parties have stepped over their objections and constructively say: “We think we can work it out.”
‘New program, new people’
VVD minister Dekker (Legal Protection) also insists that there is no question of continuing on the old foot. “There will be a new cabinet, with a new program and probably also with new people.”
Most ministers did not want to answer the question whether they want to be part of the next cabinet before the start of the cabinet meeting this morning. The stage of the ‘doll figures’ has not yet arrived, they believe.
Only State Secretary Knops (Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations) says unequivocally that after four years it still makes a lot of sense to continue his work. “I’m having a great time and there is still plenty to do. I’m still full of energy.”
Minister Blok of Economic Affairs is the only one to indicate that he no longer a minister want to be.
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