New cabinet negotiator Ivo Opstelten will meet party leaders on Thursday as he begins the process of putting together a right-wing minority government.

Queen Beatrix has charged Opstelten with looking into the formation of a ‘stable cabinet’ which can count on a ‘fruitful’ relationship with parliament. The negotiator is focusing on a cabinet made up of the VVD Liberals and Christian Democrats which will be supported by the anti-Islam PVV in parliament.
The right-wing combination will have 76 out of 150 seats in the lower house of parliament but will not hold a majority in the senate.
Cuts
In particular, Opstelten is to find out if there can be agreement on €18bn worth of austerity measures.
He must also determine if there is scope for a second agreement with the PVV which will focus on immigration, integration and asylum seekers, public safety and care of the elderly. PVV leader Geert Wilders has said he wants a deal on all these areas in return for his support for spending cuts.
Opstelten is the sixth person charged by Beatrix with negotiating a new cabinet since the June 9 general election.