Informateur Rein Jan Hoekstra, the man charged with sounding out party leaders about potential coalitions, is to hold further talks with Socialist Party leader Jan Marijnissen on Friday, news agency ANP reported.

His spokesman said he wanted to find out if a coalition including the SP would be sufficiently stable and what compromises Marijnissen was prepared to make. The SP was the biggest gainer in last week’s general election. It now holds 26 seats making it the third-biggest party behind the Christian Democrats (CDA) and Labour (PvdA).
Left-of-centre parties have told Hoekstra to focus his efforts on a coalition between the CDA, PvdA Labour and the SP. ChristenUnie, the orthodox Christian party which tends to the left on social issues, has also recommended a CDA/PvdA/SP coalition. ChristenUnie is seen as a compromise coalition partner if talks with the SP fail.