Prime minister designate Mark Rutte will continue interviewing prospective cabinet ministers on Monday, after a weekend of talks to finalise the new cabinet.

The line up so far includes two senior VVD officials who were involved in the cabinet negotiations – Ivo Opstelten and Uri Rosenthal. Four of the six Christian Democrat ministers are in the current cabinet.
Rutte’s first appointment on Monday is with Paul de Krom (VVD), who is expected to get the junior social affairs ministry job.
He will be followed by VVD MP Edith Schippers, who is set for the health ministry portfolio. She was Rutte’s number two during the negotiations.
Later Jan Kees de Jager, acting finance minister for the CDA will meet the prime minister designate. He is expected to stay in the job.
Former Maastricht mayor Gerd Leers, nominated as minister for integration and asylum, will follow. Leers was the last speaker at the CDA congress to ratify the new alliance and gave a rousing speech in favour.
Rutte, leader of the right-wing VVD, hopes to have finalised his new cabinet of 12 ministers by early next week. He is also appointing eight junior ministers.
The number of ministries is also being cut by two to 11. Economic affairs will merge with agriculture, while transport and the environment will be combined to form a new ministry of infrastructure and the environment.
Immigration and asylum seekers will fall under home affairs, rather than justice and they will have a separate minister.
Forecast appointments so far
Ministers:
Deputy prime minister, and minister for economic affairs, agriculture and innovation: Maxime Verhagen (CDA)
Social affairs and employment: Henk Kamp (VVD)
Home affairs: Piet Hein Donner (CDA)
Security and Justice: Ivo Opstelten (VVD)
Infrastructure and environment: Melanie Schultz van Haegen (VVD)
Defence: Hans Hillen (CDA)
Foreign affairs: Uri Rosenthal (VVD)
Immigration and asylum affairs: Gerd Leers, former Maastricht mayor (CDA)
Education: Marja van Bijsterveld (CDA)
Finance: Jan Kees de Jager (CDA)
Health: Edith Schippers (VVD)
Junior ministers
Junior justice minister: Fred Teeven (VVD)
Junior foreign affairs minister: Ben Knapen (CDA)
Junior social affairs minister: Paul de Krom (VVD)
Junior economic affairs minister Henk Bleker (CDA)
Junior finance minister: Frans Weekers (VVD)
Junior education minister: Halbe Zijlstra (VVD)
Two junior ministers for the CDA – home affairs, and transport and environment – are still unknown.