Talks To Enter 'Radio Silence' As Right-Wing Parties Seek Agreement

Following the appointment of parliamentary scout Ronald Plasterk as 'informateur', the individual tasked with bringing parties towards a coalition agreement post-election, the former Labour Party lawmaker has said that the negotiations will enter a period of 'radio silence' for the coming weeks. The talks are taking place involving Geert Wilders' right-wing nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV), the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), centre-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the agrarian populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB).

• Nieuws.nl reports: "Plasterk will be the first to work with them to find “a common baseline for guaranteeing the Constitution, fundamental rights and the democratic constitutional state”. If they succeed, they will continue to discuss themes such as migration, social security and climate." The VVD and NSC have indicated major reservations of joining an official coalition with the PVV due to concerns about respect for the constitution/rule of law.
• Given the Netherlands' proportional representation electoral system, which delivers a large number of parties with relatively few seats, lengthy coalition negotiations post-election are the norm, and as such should not be viewed as a sign of political instability.
• Should a stable majority/minority coalition prove impossible, opinion polling shows the PVV would win even more seats than it did in November should a new vote take place. Mid-Dec polling has the PVV on 43-47 seats, up from 37 currently. The VVD has seen the biggest decline, to 16-18 from 24 as Wilders peels off its supporters on the right.