CDA member Wopke Hoekstra is the first party leader to meet with the new informateurs Johan Remkes (VVD) and Wouter Koolmees (D66) on Wednesday. His visit marks the start of substantive negotiations on a new coalition agreement, more than six months after the election results.
Later in the afternoon, the informateurs will also receive party leaders Gert-Jan Segers (ChristenUnie) and Sigrid Kaag (D66), and acting VVD party leader Sophie Hermans. In the evening, the four participating and current coalition parties (ChristenUnie, VVD, D66 and CDA) will also hold joint consultations.
If it is up to Kaag and Remkes, the final phase of the formation process will not take long. During the formation debate in the House of Representatives, Remkes said on Tuesday that he wanted to form a new cabinet “as soon as possible”, and Kaag expressed himself in similar terms: “we can work out a solution in the very short term.”
Kaag pointed to the document in outline, which D66 and VVD worked on last summer. The only question is how that piece will contribute to the negotiations. The ChristenUnie, the new party at the negotiating table, has previously stated that it does not agree with the document.
This article is also part of our live blog: Great tit no minister as long as he is an informateur