Koolmees faces tough balancing act as Dutch coalition talks begin

THE HAGUE--Efforts to form a new coalition government in the Netherlands have begun, with NS chief executive and former social affairs minister Wouter Koolmees appointed as verkenner (scout) to explore possible governing combinations.

Koolmees, who previously served under D66 and now leads the national railway company, received the unanimous backing of all 15 parliamentary factions. House Speaker Martin Bosma described him as “a capable figure we’re borrowing briefly,” noting his distance from current political dynamics.

The verkenner will begin consultations immediately and is expected to submit his findings on potential coalitions by November 11. The newly elected parliament will be sworn in the following day, with a debate on the election results planned for November 13.

Despite a shared desire for a quick formation process, the main parties remain divided on direction. D66 leader Rob Jetten has called for a broad, stable coalition involving D66, CDA, VVD, and GroenLinks-PvdA, a grouping that would hold 86 seats. He urged VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz to reflect on the outcome and work toward a centrist alliance.

Yeşilgöz, however, again rejected cooperation with GroenLinks-PvdA, saying the parties’ visions are “too far apart” and that the appointment of Jesse Klaver as their new leader “changes nothing.” She instead favors a centre-right combination of VVD, D66, CDA, and JA21, calling wider alliances “something in the middle, something dull.”

JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans, whose party gained nine seats, said he is open to joining a right-leaning coalition but noted that with exactly 75 seats, one more partner would be needed for a majority. He maintained that JA21 is prepared for government, citing its “experienced candidates” and “five years of parliamentary work.”

Centrists are also expected to play a decisive role. CDA leader Henri Bontenbal avoided committing to any alignment, saying discussions should focus on practical results and leaving the option of a minority government open.

Meanwhile, PVV leader Geert Wilders congratulated Jetten on D66’s narrow victory, acknowledging that with a lead of about 28,000 votes, the official count due Friday is unlikely to alter the outcome. Although the PVV matched D66 with 26 seats, most parties have excluded the far-right movement from any governing agreement.

After meeting with parliamentary leaders on Tuesday, Koolmees said he was aware of the complexity of his assignment. “The composition of the new parliament is quite different, and clear preferences for coalition partners have already been stated,” he noted, adding that his priority is to hold in-depth talks with all leaders to understand the country’s political landscape before making recommendations.

𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘙𝘰𝘣 𝘑𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦 𝘒𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘌𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰: 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘬𝘰 𝘥𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘕𝘗

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