November 6, 2025 Wouter Koolmees talks to reporters after Thursday’s meetings. Photo: Remko de Waal ANP
Talks on forming a new Dutch coalition government will centre on Friday on preliminary discussions between two sessions involving two parties, Wouter Koolmees, the man charged with assessing the current situation, told reporters on Thursday evening.
Rob Jetten, leader of D66, the biggest party in last week’s general election, and Joost Eerdmans of the far-right JA21, which won nine seats, will first talk together with Koolmees.
Later, Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the right-wing liberal VVD, will meet Koolmees and new GL-PvdA leader Jesse Klaver to talk about their differences.
“She says their differences cannot be bridged but it is my job to find out if this really is the case,” Koolmees said.
Yesilgöz has said repeatedly she will not take her party into a coalition with the left-wing green alliance and that she prefers a centre-right option. Jetten, set to be the future prime minister, has said he prefers a broad coalition including the VVD, GL-PvdA and the Christian Democrats.
Koolmees said he wants to get a better idea of the objections the parties have to each other and find out if these are “real” or perceived differences.
Koolmees has now met the leaders of all 15 parties which will be represented in parliament from next week and said there is a unanimous wish for a speedy cabinet formation process, given the big issues facing the Netherlands.
Election 2025
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