Former informer Hamer: ‘Kaag and Rutte are not rolling around in the street’

Former informer Mariëtte Hamer says in news hour that the talks between D66 and VVD for a new cabinet generally went smoothly. “It is not the case that Rutte and Kaag are constantly rolling around in the street. It is also not just Kaag or Rutte. It is also the position of the CDA and also GroenLinks and the PvdA, you cannot only attribute this to personal relationships. “

Still, Hamer noticed some old soreness during the formation. “It has a bit to do with fear of the next election. How will it end for me if I step into the cabinet? In addition, I also taste frustration from the past. About how the formation has gone in the past.”

‘Tomorrow call for the last round’

The current informateur, Johan Remkes, announced on Tuesday after weeks of consultation that the formation of a minority government with a combination of VVD, D66 and/or CDA had failed. Hamer is disappointed that there is still little shot in the formation. “I was very shocked when Remkes said that they had not come out. I had high hopes that there would be an outcome. But if you listen to the informant, he actually says: we are nowhere yet.”

Yet Hamer can hardly imagine that there will be no breakthrough in the cabinet formation on Wednesday. “Now all heads together, we are now going to find a solution. Because tomorrow is about the bell for the last round.”

Remkes will have talks tomorrow with the party leaders of VVD, D66, CDA, PvdA, GroenLinks, ChristenUnie, Volt, SGP and Fractie Den Haan. He talks to all these parties because, as he calls it, he wants to look for “other forms of collaboration and composition.” It is not yet clear what this composition should be. There is talk of a extraparlementair kabinet.

‘Don’t shop at the Chamber’

In simple terms, this is a cabinet that works with a government program that the ministers of the participating parties must adhere to, but which the factions of those parties do not have to promise support in advance. The MPs of all political groups in the House of Representatives are therefore free to support or reject the cabinet policy on certain points.

Hamer sees some drawbacks to such a form of government. “A minority cabinet has just been written off. I understand that this was partly because you run the risk of having to shop at the House of Representatives. That has to be done even more with the extra-parliamentary cabinet.” Hamer does have another suggestion. “Why don’t you make an outline agreement with the six most essential parties. Five, six, seven eight pages. You make an agreement with those parties, they then supply ministers.”

If no agreement is on the table this Wednesday either, Hamer thinks the arsenal of solutions will be exhausted. “I’m even more concerned than when I passed on the order. If you keep exploring options, one day you’ll be below the line and you have nothing. We are getting further and further below that line. And at the very bottom, that’s new elections .”

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