Following the failure of talks to form a new cabinet between the two Liberal parties, Labour and GroenLinks, political commentators say VVD leader Mark Rutte has few options open to him.

Rutte has now suggested looking into forming a cabinet between the VVD, Labour and Christian Democrats, but Labour leader Job Cohen has already dismissed the idea.
Furthermore, the ‘purple plus’ talks collapsed because Labour and the VVD could not agree on spending cuts – making a deal also involving the CDA very unlikely.
Solo
According to the Volkskrant, one option being discussed in The Hague is that Rutte should himself write a government agreement, possibly together with the CDA’s Maxime Verhagen. It would then be up to Labour or Geert Wilder’s anti-Islam PVV to join in.
The paper points out that in 1994, Labour leader Wim Kok wrote the government agreement before there was a coalition and the VVD and D66 signed up later.
Another option would be a minority VVD CDA cabinet with tacit support from the PVV. Wilders made this suggestion before the general election.
Anti-Islam
Immediately after the election, Rutte began talks on forming a right-wing government with the anti-Islam PVV.
But those talks failed because the CDA refused to join in until the Liberals and Wilders had agreed on controversial issues such as a headscarf tax, ethnic registration and a ban on Muslim immigration.
Wilders said on Tuesday evening that his party, the VVD and CDA should get down to talking immediately. ‘Otherwise there should be new elections,’ the Telegraaf quoted him as saying.
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