DutchNews.nl - Coalition process a farce, says D66 leader

Coalition process a farce, says D66 leader

Tuesday 07 September 2010

Attempts to form a new government in the Netherlands, three months after the general election, are turning into a farce, Alexander Pechtold, leader of the Liberal democratic party D66 told a parliamentary debate on Tuesday afternoon.

MPs were debating the Friday collapse of talks on forming a right-wing coalition with the queen's negotiator Ivo Opstelten. Shortly before the debate started it emerged the three parties – VVD, anti-Islam PVV and Christian Democrats – wanted to resume the talks.

'Last week was bad for politics as a whole and further annoyed society at large,' Pechtold said, accusing Opstelten of not being in control of events.

And Femke Halsema, leader of the left-wing green party GroenLinks, said the formation process was taking place in 'an atmosphere of provocation and polarisation', she said. 'If this is the mood of the formation, what sort of government awaits us?' she said.

Kees van der Staaij, leader of the fundamentalist Christian party SGP which had been tipped as a possible new partner to a right-wing cabinet, said the three parties were guilty of 'an astonishing and ungracious' state of affairs. 'It could and should have been different,' he said.

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Readers' comments

He's right. It is a farce, a complete joke that it can take so long to form a government.

You CANNOT please everyone.

By Chris | September 7, 2010 3:58 PM

Rutte has obviously failed at this process. VVD only won by one vote, the coalition would only have 1 seat over 75, not a majority in the Senate, and an article the day after the election showed that had voters known how close PvdA came, more would have voted for them making them the overall 'winner'. But it is a parliamentary system, so it is not about a single party winner anyway. How long before we let someone else take the reigns?!?

By Rob | September 7, 2010 6:41 PM

Jan-Cees

This is (the most highly) objectionable House-Style foreigner mistake here in the European Communities that I've seen yet in my short life, as someone "born" in the European Community.
The Queen is Head of State of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, where this publication claims to be published.
In future, colonials, refer to your monarch as such, Her Royal Majesty the Queen.

By Noel McCullagh MA | September 7, 2010 9:22 PM

Yes, a complete farce. I laugh when I think of all the arrogant Dutch people making fun of the American election in 2000. Election ballot issues were nothing compared to this election in Holland.

I've never seen the purpose of a monarchy, and about the only semi-logical point anyone has ever made to me is that it keeps consistency in the election process. Well, I think this situation throws that niave idea out the window.

I wish D66 would get their act together an make this place a democratic republic rather than the facist autocracy that it is becoming.

By Quest | September 7, 2010 9:45 PM

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