Right wing option should be looked at first, leaders tell queen
The queen is likely to appoint a coalition negotiator with affiliations to the VVD Liberal party who will start assessing the possibility of a right-wing VVD, CDA and PVV coalition, Dutch newspapers report on Friday.
Liberal leader Mark Rutte, who is in line to be the next prime minister, was the first to visit the queen on Friday morning to formally start of the coalition formation process.
After the meeting Rutte said he had told the queen talks should start with Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam party because it had been the main winner in Wedneday’s general election.
Nevertheless, Rutte said he was concerned about the PVV’s stability, in particular the role of Hero Brinkman, the MP who has called for greater democracy with the party.
Rutte also said a coalition with the Labour party and CDA was another option, but emphasised yet again the major differences between the VVD and Labour on the economy.
Trust
Labour leader Job Cohen, who lost to the VVD by less than 1% of the vote, told reporters after his conversation with Beatrix he had advised the cabinet to look for a ‘strong cabinet’ with ‘trust between its members’.
Cohen said that although he would like to see a progressive cabinet, given the election results, the VVD and PVV should take the initiative in forming a new cabinet. ‘That coalition should be looked at in great detail,’ the former mayor of Amsterdam said.
Balkenende IV
Geert Wilders said he had pointed out to the queen that all the parties which were members of the previous cabinet had lost support.
‘Justice should be done to the election results and a coalition involving the two winners, PVV and VVD, should be looked at. And I said we should make haste,’ Wilders told reporters.
All nine leaders of parties now represented in parliament are due to hold talks with the queen on Friday.
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