The four coalition parties continued talks about the spring financial statement overnight and have still not reached agreement by Wednesday morning.

The talks were suspended for a time for a parliamentary vote and were joined by prime minister Dick Schoof, but by 9 am there was still no sign that a deal was imminent.

The annual spring statement is supposed to include adjustments to last September’s budget, but is also an opportunity for the coalition to agree additional spending plans.

However, this year’s talks have remained bogged down in determining how much financial leeway there is for new policy. Under cabinet rules, all windfalls for the treasury are supposed to go towards reducing the national debt, and the VVD in particular wants to stick to that pledge.

NSC negotiator Nicolien van Vroonhoven told reporters after Monday’s talks that the four parties had “not made much progress”, and PVV leader Geert Wilders said earlier that an “ocean” still divides the four parties.

The aim was to complete the talks on Tuesday evening so they can be discussed by the cabinet ahead of the Easter break. The results must also be assessed by the Council of State and the macro-economic planning bureau CPB before they can be sent to Brussels for approval.

The VVD is calling for increased spending on defence, the PVV wants to freeze rents and cut value added tax on groceries, while the BBB wants additional funding to tackle the nitrogen-based pollution crisis.

Ministers also want more money for prisons and for housing for refugees.