The process of forming a new Dutch government has begun in earnest, following Thursday’s parliamentary debate and the appointment of two new informateurs to lead the negotiations.

But the process got off to a difficult start after Hans Wijers, negotiating on behalf of D66, admitted he was wrong to call VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz a “liar” on election night. His comments, made at a business event shortly after the results came in, prompted strong criticism from her party as well as from JA21 and the PVV.

Wijers said on Thursday that he regretted the remark and had apologised. He also told guests that evening he had hoped the VVD would suffer a heavier defeat at the polls. “That was inappropriate language. I should not have said it,” he said.

Despite the row, Wijers said he had “no doubts” he could continue his work over the next three weeks. He and the CDA’s negotiator Sybrand Buma have been tasked with drawing up a draft coalition agreement with D66 leader Rob Jetten and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal, with the option for the VVD to join later.

The VVD, which came third in last month’s general election, has been excluded from the initial talks because of Yesilgöz insistence on ruling out working with the left-wing green party GroenLinks, which came fourth.

Wijers will not give formal advice on potential coalition partners, but he will help shape the outline of an agreement that both CDA and D66 want to command broad support. Jetten and Bontenbal both stressed earlier on Thursday that they were aiming for backing across the political spectrum.

Sources have told NOS that the talks will first focus on solving the nitrogen pollution problem, which has delayed dozens of housing and other construction projects, and on boosting capacity on the electricity grid.

Both issues have plagued the outgoing government and are regarded as extremely complex to solve.

Hans Wijers (74) was minister of economic affairs in the mid-1990s on behalf of D66 and later went on to lead chemicals company Akzo Nobel. Sybrand Buma (60) is mayor of Leeuwarden and led the CDA parliamentary party from 2010 to 2019.

They are due to present the outline of a coalition agreement on 9 December.