The support of small parties may be necessary now that a minority cabinet is one of the options for future national governance. With the 44 seats of D66 and CDA, support will probably have to be found in advance from small parties in addition to VVD (22) or GL/PvdA (20).
D66 and CDA want to maintain the spreading law and phase out mortgage interest deductions
They can take a key position now that Klaver has repeatedly said that GL/PvdA sees nothing in a minority cabinet. If the VVD joins D66 and CDA, the seats of BBB (4), SGP (3), CU (3) and 50Plus (2) are important to come close to a majority.
JA21 (9), also a possible supporter of such a minority cabinet, will have the turn of informant Sybrand Buma on Thursday, just like larger parties.
Question marks on embryo law and educational freedom
BBB, SGP, CU and 50Plus hinted on Wednesday that they saw ‘positive’ things in the seventeen-page document that Rob Jetten (D66) and Henri Bontenbal (CDA) presented on Tuesday. Yet there are also many doubts ‘about the things that are not included’, as Chris Stoffer (SGP) puts it.
He himself would prefer to see a majority cabinet, but Stoffer does not reject a minority cabinet. Whether the SGP supports this depends on the question marks the party has regarding dealing with families, traditional civil liberties and medical-ethical issues. Stoffer calls these themes ‘essential’ for the attitude his party takes towards a new cabinet.
SGP faction chairman Chris Stoffer arrives for a conversation with Informateur Sybrand Buma. © ANP
After all, it is a thorn in his side that VVD member Arend Kisteman recently submitted a proposal to tamper with the freedom of education. According to Stoffer, a threatening majority for the bill by D66 and VVD to breed embryos also means that ‘you will become far away from the SGP’. “Then they have a bad idea for us.”
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For Mirjam Bikker (CU), such points also influence her ‘benevolence’ towards a minority cabinet. “Don’t start polishing all the D66 crown jewels that you know are within the pain threshold of the CU,” she calls on a potential minority cabinet to ‘self-control’. “As far as I am concerned, the latter decreases the goodwill.”
Group chairman Mirjam Bikker (CU). © ANP
BBB is having a hard time with the agricultural paragraph of D66 and CDA. Jetten and Bontenbal’s letter states that, in extreme cases, farmers can be forcibly bought out to reduce nitrogen emissions. In addition, party leader Caroline van der Plas believes that the writing should be more right-wing given the election results.
50Plus does not want any cuts in elderly care
Jan Struijs (50Plus) pays less attention to such issues. He believes that D66 and CDA have delivered a document that is ‘really an invitation’ for other parties, but also indicates that his party with two seats must be ‘humble’ and ‘modest’.
Group chairman Jan Struijs of 50PLUS. © ANP /
He is also not adverse to a minority cabinet. “That is a more favorable situation for us,” he thinks. “Because then we can see per topic whether we support it.”
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Struijs wants to link any support to, for example, building many senior homes. Cutting back on elderly care is actually a thorn in his side and you will find 50Plus ‘against you’.