Three parties – D66, the VVD and CDA – will continue talks on forming a new coalition government and a minority cabinet is one of the options, Dutch media are reporting on Monday afternoon.
Negotiator Sybrand Buma, who is due to report back to parliament on Tuesday, will give a briefing on the latest developments later on Monday.
A minority cabinet is now an option because none of the variations which would lead to a majority coalition can count on enough support. The current situation, said D66 leader Rob Jetten, requires “maximum creativity and responsibility” to avoid an “endless political impasse”.
Both Christian Democrat leader Henri Bontenbal and the VVD’s Dilan Yesilgöz have described today’s talks as “an intermediate step” and Bontenbal said he wanted to warn against “too much optimism”.
GroenLinks-PvdA leader Jesse Klaver reacted angrily to the news on Monday morning, saying Yesilgöz is being rewarded for her blockade on his party. She has said repeatedly that her party will not join a majority government which includes the left-wing alliance.
A minority cabinet involving the right-wing VVD and two centre parties would be a risky experiment given the current global instability, as well as cheating the parties that wanted change, he said
The VVD is keen to have far right party JA21 in the new government but Jetten has rejected that option.
