The Netherlands: Talks on forming a new government resume after lengthy break

The Dutch Parliament in the Hague

Talks on forming a new four-party coalition government resumed on Wednesday, a day later than planned.

The negotiations should have restarted on Tuesday after a lengthy break, but were postponed so that GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver could attend his mother’s funeral. ‘My mother would have wanted it no other way,’

Klaver told reporters on his way to the talks. The talks are taking place between the two Liberal parties VVD and D66, the Christian Democrats and the green party GroenLinks.

Three main issues are likely to provide the most sticking points: income policy, climate change and immigration. In terms of income policy, GroenLinks is keen to reduce the pay gap between the rich and poor while the VVD wants to widen the gap between social security benefits and salaries.

The VVD and CDA are opposed to several of GroenLink’s proposals to tackle climate change, although all four parties’ think-tanks have drawn up a common strategy for the environment.

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