A majority of MPs have voted in favour of processing legislation to give new fathers five days paid paternity leave, even though the outgoing government branded it 'controversial'. Traditionally, work on politically sensitive issues is halted while a new cabinet is put together following an election. However, caretaker social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher is keen to press ahead with the plan - which is slated to come into effect in 2019. For that to happen, decisions have to be taken now, Asscher said. The three parties currently involved in forming a new coalition remain opposed to debating the bill as does the fundamentalist Christian SGP. However, GroenLinks has now changed sides, making the debate possible. Dutch fathers currently only get two days paid paternity leave, one of the lowest amounts in the EU. It is not yet clear when the debate will take place.  More >

The leader of the small Christian party ChristenUnie, which has six seats in parliament, will meet coalition negotiator Herman Tjeenk Willink for talks later on Wednesday, now his party is the only option for a majority cabinet. The Labour party PvdA, the only other realistic option for a majority, has refused to come to the negotiating table, leaving ChristenUnie as the only candidate. The party, which has six MPs and would give the coalition a majority of just one, was involved in the talks earlier. However, those talks collapsed because of disagreements with D66 about ethical issues such as assisted dying. All the parties involved in the talks have said they prefer a majority cabinet, leading Tjeenk Willink to say last week that they must be prepared to compromise on some issues to achieve this. The Netherlands has been without a government for over three months. Opinion polls Meanwhile, broadcaster NOS has published its first opinion poll round-up since the March 15 vote. The poll, which is based on the results of five separate opinion polls, shows little shift in support for the main parties. 'Things are often calm during a formation process,' poll compiler Tom Louwerse said. 'Voters are waiting to see what happens.' The only significant result in the poll is an increase in support for the right-wing Eurosceptic Forum voor Democratie, which has two seats in parliament and could take up to five if there was a general election tomorrow.  More >

The Dutch Labour party (PvdA) needs to develop into a broad people's movement which represents the interests of everyone, according to a new report into the collapse of the party at the March general election. The PvdA, part of the outgoing government, won just nine seats in the national vote, down from 38 at the previous election in 2012, prompting much soul searching about the reason's for its plunging popularity. The report was drawn up by party stalwart and Breda mayor Paul Depla. It says the PvdA should 'fully focus on themes such as work and income, care, the environment and the multicultural society to win back trust in social democracy'. Depla spoke to 'hundreds' of people within and outside the party to draw up his recommendations. One important reason for the PvdA's collapse is the 'Netflixing' of society, he said. 'Society is breaking into little groups which live in their own information bubbles, each with their own political party,' he said. 'If the PvdA becomes a little segment in its own right, we might as well give up.'  More >

Labour party leader Lodewijk Asscher is coming under increasing pressure to get involved in the ongoing coalition talks, but has again said that the party 'is not available' to form a government. Three core parties - the VVD, CDA and D66 - need a fourth partner to secure majority support in parliament. GroenLinks has twice pulled out of the negotiations, citing disagreements on refugees and migration, and D66 has refused to talk to the small Christian party ChristenUnie. The SP and PVV have also been ruled out as potential partners. That leaves Labour (PvdA), whose support collapsed at the March 15 general election and which now has just nine seats in parliament. However, Asscher told the AD at the weekend: 'I too think we need a cabinet. But we want to serve the country as MPs. We are absolutely not going to join the VVD, CDA and D66.' Last week coalition negotiator Herman Tjeenk Willink said all the party leaders had told him they wanted a majority government but that for this to happen, some will have to show they are willing to compromise. According to a poll by television programme EenVandaag, a majority of Labour voters want Asscher to take a seat at the negotiating table. Now a number of Labour mayors and local government officials have also joined in. 'It is in the national interest that we have a strong cabinet,' Best mayor Anton van Aert told the Volkskrant. 'GroenLinks cannot join the talks for a third time. So the Labour party has to take responsibility.'  More >