Coalition not in sight in the Netherlands

In the March election, the right-wing liberal VVD of Prime Minister Mark Rutte was once again the strongest force. But he needs at least three other partners to form a government with a majority. So far, however, the possible parties are mutually exclusive.

Hamer had been commissioned by parliament to sound out the possibilities of a new coalition. She had held talks with the leaders of the political groups since May. The core of a new government should be the VVD von Rutte and the left-wing liberal D66 under the leadership of Sigrid Kaag, which surprisingly emerged as the second strongest force in the election. Rutte also wants to work with the right-wing conservative Christian Democrats and the smaller ChristenUnie, while D66 wants to take the left-wing Social Democrats and Greens on board.