Netherlands agrees on minority government after parliamentary elections
Illustrative photo: minority government agreed in the Netherlands (Getty Images)
In the Netherlands, the left-liberal D66, the Christian Democrats CDA, and the right-liberal VVD have reached an agreement to form a minority government, according to NOS.
The agreement was reached more than two months after the parliamentary elections.
Leaders of the three parties invited representatives of several opposition factions to discuss possible support, as they are 10 seats short of a majority in the House of Representatives.
"The new cabinet will have a difficult time governing. But we believe we can make it work," said Rob Jetten, leader of the D66 parliamentary group.
The right-liberal VVD proposed including the far-right JA21, which holds 9 of the 10 seats needed for a majority, but D66 opposed the idea due to political differences.
D66 and JA21 have fundamental disagreements on climate policy, nitrogen emissions, asylum policy, and cooperation within the EU.
The outlet notes that, unlike Denmark and Sweden, the Netherlands has no tradition of minority governments.
Opposition parties reacted critically to the planned formation of a minority cabinet. JA21 called it a missed opportunity, and PVV said new elections would likely be held next year, while GroenLinks–PvdA described the move as a "risky political experiment."
Parliamentary elections in Netherlands
Early parliamentary elections were held in the Netherlands on October 29. They have several distinctive features, including one of the lowest electoral thresholds in the world, a party needs only 0.67% of the vote to enter parliament.
As a result, a single-party majority is virtually impossible, since a large number of political forces gain representation. Parties therefore usually form coalitions, with the right to form a government granted to the party that wins the elections.
How the elections in the Netherlands affect Ukraine is covered in a separate RBC-Ukraine analysis.
