Live politics: Explorer Plasterk starts work on Wednesday, hopes to present a final report next week • Probably tenth seat for D66 at the expense of SP

The political leaders have agreed to Ronald Plasterk as the new scout for the cabinet formation. Chamber President Vera Bergkamp has just announced this after a conversation with the party leaders. According to Bergkamp, ​​there was ‘great political support’ for Plasterk’s appointment.

Only Esther Ouwehand (PvdD) and Stephan van Baarle (Denk) were against. Although it is customary for the election winner to take the initiative in the exploration, Van Baarle refuses to cooperate this time. He wants to ‘boycott’ the exploration because the PVV threatens to violate ‘the rights of more than 1 million Dutch Muslims’. “While we still can, we must protect Dutch people and the Dutch rule of law against Wilders,” says Van Baarle.

Election winner Geert Wilders has asked Plasterk to smoothen the cabinet formation, after the formation was stalled on Monday because the previously appointed scout Gom van Strien had become discredited. “The most important task of the new scout is to see what coalition options are available,” Bergkamp said. She hopes that the formation will enter a ‘quiet phase’ again after a ‘false start’. “Hopefully that will happen again from today,” Bergkamp said.

Most political leaders also hope that the formation of a new cabinet will speed up. The elections have now been a week. “And we have not yet made any progress,” said BBB chairman Caroline van der Plas prior to Plasterk’s appointment.

As a scout, Plasterk has a difficult puzzle to solve. The VVD announced on Friday morning that the party does not want to join a cabinet with the PVV. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz said he was only prepared to tolerate a possible centre-right government. PVV leader Geert Wilders is disappointed about this, NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt called the decision ‘remarkable’. Without the VVD it will not be possible to form a right-wing majority cabinet.

Explorer Plasterk has been instructed to submit a report to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 5, about possible government coalitions. The new members of the House of Representatives will take office on Wednesday, December 6. On Thursday, December 7, the election results will be debated in Parliament. Plasterk will be present to answer any questions.

Natalie Righton