The chance for a majority cabinet seems to have been lost. Pieter Omtzigt’s NSC withdrew from the formation talks with PVV, VVD and BBB on Tuesday. With not the rule of law, but finance as spoilsport.
It is known that the waves on X, formerly Twitter, often go high. That they often say nothing, too. But Monday night it said it all.
After a reconciliation meeting with VVD, NSC and BBB, PVV member Geert Wilders wrote the message that ‘the commitment of the parties that are now negotiating’ must also be ‘real to reach a solution together’. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz quickly endorsed Wilders’ words: “I completely agree.” And BBB leader Caroline van der Plas? ‘Me, too.’
Informant Ronald Plasterk received a text message
But ‘quartet’ did not materialize. Pieter Omtzigt, leader of NSC, remained silent. And a day later he replied in a letter to the members: NSC is withdrawing from the discussions with PVV, VVD and BBB. Informant Ronald Plasterk received a text message.
The NSC faction, Omtzigt wrote to party members, is ‘very shocked’ by the state of public finances. Because the party does not want to make empty promises ‘under any circumstances’, the faction does not want to continue discussing cabinet participation.
Not the rule of law, or migration, but the state treasury as a spoilsport
And so Omtzigt left the talk class, eleven weeks after the elections. NSC’s withdrawal follows a turbulent, but short history of the first round of talks under informant and former minister Plasterk.
What was supposed to start with conversations about the rule of law and democracy turned out to be a weeks-long negotiation in a self-imposed radio silence. In the last ten days there was a lot of friction between the forming four, with sneering back and forth – often via social media.
It became clear immediately after the elections that mutual chemistry was in short supply. With the PVV on one side and Omtzigt’s NSC on the other, the different visions of democracy and the rule of law seemed irreconcilable.
But not the rule of law, nor migration, but that other point now appears to be a spoilsport: finances. With the PVV – “no painful mega cuts” – versus the economical and decent NSC. Omtzigt was right in the requested documents: what he wants cannot be achieved. Top officials have previously outlined that 17 billion euros must be cut by the new cabinet.
Plasterk: no information withheld
In the letter, Omtzigt points to requested letters about financial setbacks. After ‘insisting’, Omtzigt was given access to the information on Monday afternoon and was shocked. Plasterk, moreover, had had these letters at home for at least a week, Omtzigt suggested.
Plasterk called the NSC argument about finances to the parliamentary press on Tuesday evening “nonsense.” At the same time, he said that the parties did not ask for financial windfalls. He also denied withholding information. Plasterk has called the parties together for Wednesday evening, Omtzigt has announced that he will not come.
Chance for a right-wing majority cabinet wasted
Omtzigt’s move means that the chances of a right-wing majority cabinet have been lost. NSC is ‘of course very aware of its responsibility for a national government’, the group said in the letter to members. NSC therefore wants to cooperate ‘constructively, but carefully’ with a minority cabinet or a broad extra-parliamentary cabinet, with impartial ministers.
Omtzigt repeated himself. In a letter to Plasterk, just after the elections, Omtzigt saw ‘no basis’ to negotiate with the PVV about ‘a majority government or minority government’. Omtzigt sorted by ‘variants’, which he now mentions again.
Pieter Omtzigt in splits
It characterizes Omtzigt: in the split between taking responsibility and being responsible. On the one hand, he does not want to take care of something that he cannot deliver: ‘You don’t build social security with castles in the air.’
On the other hand, he wants to capitalize on his electoral success, 20 seats. He has big plans for redesigning the government system, transforming the tax system and improving the administrative culture. But only in his way.
‘Omtzigt throws in the towel’
While Omtzigt attempted to explain his story, the other three protagonists wiped their alley while typing. On X, PVV, VVD and BBB closed ranks. Wilders wrote that he understood ‘absolutely nothing’ about Omtzigt ‘throwing in the towel’. Yesilgöz was ‘very surprised’ and Van der Plas called it ‘astonishing’ and ‘a total surprise’.
Not only did they see Omtzigt leaving, but with him they also saw the only chance for a right-wing majority cabinet. And that’s not their fault, the three of them agreed.