D66 leader hints at pre-election coalition pact, polls go purple

Saturday 08 May 2010

D66 leader Alexander Pechtold backs the idea of a pre-election pact between a number of parties who pledge to work together and form a coalition in the run up to the June 9 election.

He made the suggestion in an interview with Trouw on Saturday. The concept of a pre-election pact dates back to the 1970s when three left-of-centre parties set up a shadow cabinet before the election and went on to form the next government, the paper says.

Pechtold said he would support a coalition of parties which 'want reform in order to maintain what we have' rather than 'doom-mongers who put cuts above all else'.

These reforms should focus on the labour market, housing, education, and climate and energy policy, he said.

Pechtold did not say which parties he would like to join forces with. 'The VVD and GroenLinks make different choices to us, but they do ground them well,' Pechtold told the paper. 'The CDA and PvdA are less clear.'

Purple

Meanwhile, the latest Synovate opinion poll emphasises that a return to the 'purple' coalition of the 1990s would be a real option.

Labour and the two Liberal parties VVD and D66 formed two cabinets from 1994 to 2002, both led by Wim Kok. Purple refers to the mix of colours - the red of Labour and blue of the Liberals.

The combination of all three parties would now take 76 out of 150 seats in the lower house of parliament. A right-wing cabinet of the VVD, CDA and anti-Islam PVV would also have 76 seats.

© DutchNews.nl

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