Netherlands elections. Scout Jom van Strien expects a difficult formation: “The result is complicated, the dust must settle”

Scout Jom van Streen, nominated by Geert Wilders’ party, will begin discussions with the intended party leaders early next week. Its goal: to investigate whether it is possible to form a (majority) government that respects the election results. It will be a complex puzzle, and Van Strien will have a week to solve it. On December 5, he must submit a report to the House of Representatives, which will then discuss the election results and the first poll round.

Van Strien’s task was indeed complicated: Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party is the largest party ever and will soon have 37 seats in the new lower house of parliament, but a number of parties see no cooperation with the far-right party. A potential coalition partner, the VVD, has also withdrawn, with party leader Dylan Yeşilgoz announcing on Friday morning that the liberals would not join the government. The VVD is ready to provide tolerance support.

Attention is now focused on the National Security Council led by Peter Omtsigt, which did not explicitly state after the elections that it would exclude the Freedom Party. Only with the National Security Council can the Freedom Party form a government coalition, albeit with a minority government in both chambers. The BBB may be able to join.

Moreover, Yesilgöz’s decision not to join the government himself not only makes forming a majority government under Wilders difficult, but also an option outside the Freedom Party.

The second party, GroenLinks-PvdA, could try in exceptional cases to secure a majority if the Freedom Party does not succeed. But if the VVD does not want to be in government anyway, the center-left government comprising the NSC, D66, Socialist Party, CDA, Christian Union and Party for the Animals does not have a majority either. The BBB could help them get a majority, but that is unlikely. There will also be a very large number of parties in government.