Yesterday, 196 days after the elections to the House of Representatives, there should finally have been clarity about the formation. But the day has begun with nine parties visiting informateur Johan Remkes and ending with VVD, CDA and D66 withdrawing for internal deliberation, ended as he had started; there is no clarity as to whether negotiations can now take place about a new cabinet.
The informateur had presented the three parties with “a concrete line of thought”, according to VVD leader Mark Rutte. The parties of the VVD and the CDA decided in the evening whether they could agree with this, but D66 had need more time.
None of those involved wanted to make official what Remkes’ line of thought entailed. After the VVD meeting, Rutte spoke to the press, but refrained from commenting on the content. Yet it is clear that an exotic variant such as an extra-parliamentary cabinet, a proposal by Remkes, will not come about. Also a minority coalition of the VVD, D66 and CDA is excluded.
So the formation is back to what was just shot down earlier: an ‘ordinary’ majority cabinet. The only question is which variant. D66 is in favor of negotiating a six-party cabinet with VVD, D66, CDA, PvdA, GroenLinks and ChristenUnie. VVD and CDA want to continue the current four-party coalition. As far as they are concerned, the PvdA and GroenLinks are not welcome at the formation table.
Grape acid for D66
The fact that D66 has not yet decided and the other parties have, indicates that Remkes has proposed a restart of the current cabinet. After all, that would mean a major concession for D66.
Kaag previously ruled out a continuation of the current coalition, because D66 and the ChristenUnie are far apart from a medical and ethical point of view. D66 thinks it can also form a much more progressive cabinet with PvdA and GroenLinks.
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