It will be a ‘difficult job’ to smoothen the formation, in which it must become clear: who exactly wants what type of cabinet and what do party leaders mean by an extra-parliamentary cabinet. “My assignment does not state: give Pieter Omtzigt more comfort.”
Kim Putters, the new informant, said this during a press conference. Putters said he was looking for a ‘cabinet variant’ that ‘does justice to the election results’. He will talk to all faction leaders in the House of Representatives after next week. “That will be a marathon week, so to speak.”
The new informant wants to know what exactly VVD and NSC mean by an extra-parliamentary cabinet. He will first discuss this with experts, such as the vice-president of the Council of State, Thom de Graaf and former informant Herman Tjeenk Willink. However, he then wants to know ‘especially from the party leaders’. “We have to be precise about the cabinet forms. There are many discussions about what an extra parliamentary cabinet is. You also heard party leaders say: we don’t know exactly who means what by what.”
Will NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt receive special attention because he can make multiple cabinet forms possible if he participates? “My assignment does not say: ‘give Pieter Omtzigt more comfort’, I will talk to everyone.”
PvdA
Putters further said: “I am also somewhat surprised that I am standing here. But the Netherlands deserves a process that is urgent. You should just ask Mr Wilders why he asked me.” According to him, it will not be a problem that he is also a PvdA member. “You should ask them what the PvdA thinks about it.”
Putters was appointed yesterday to ‘tighten things up’, according to PVV leader Geert Wilders. And it is clear that the formation is stuck. PVV, BBB, VVD and also NSC: they want to sit down with Putters, but they will also make it clear that they all pursue different forms of government.
PVV and BBB prefer a classic right-wing majority cabinet. VVD is looking for a so-called extra-parliamentary cabinet, but only if NSC participates. That party is open to this, but especially if more parties participate than these four and without supplying ministers. It’s up to Putters to see what is possible.
The informateur has ‘three to four weeks’ and will receive all party leaders in the House of Representatives. “We face major challenges in our country, it is important that a cabinet is formed quickly.” Putters said he wanted to keep the media and the public informed of his progress in the meantime.
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