The three parties involved in talks on putting together a new Dutch government have opted to form a minority administration – a rarity in the Dutch political landscape.

The Liberal democratic party D66, which won the election at the end of October, will join forces with the Christian Democrats and right wing VVD to create a cabinet which will rely on working with other parties to form majorities, depending on the political issue.

Together the three parties hold 66 seats in the lower house of parliament, 10 short of a majority. In the upper house, they are 16 seats short.

“The new cabinet team is going to have to work hard,” said D66 leader Rob Jetten, who is set to be the next prime minister. “But we think we can do it.”

The three parties will invite the leaders of the other parties in parliament to talk about the situation in the coming days, he said.

D66 leader Henri Bontenbal described the decision as “the new political reality”. “It would be great if we could switch to a new political culture as well,” he said, in a reference to the animosity between some parties.

Choosing to govern without majority backing from the outset is highly unusual in Dutch politics. The VVD had pushed until the last moment to bring in far right party JA21, but that option ran into resistance from D66 on political grounds. “We do not consider it to be wise at this time, given everything that has to be done,” Jetten said.

JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans described the decision as a “missed opportunity” and said his party would keep a critical eye on developments.

A spokesman for the left-wing green alliance GroenLinks-PvdA, which won 20 seats at the general election described the decision to opt for a minority coalition as a “risky political experiment.”

The move will lead to “unnecessary uncertainty”, a spokesman told broadcaster NOS.

The three parties – D66, CDA and VVD – have been negotiating for several weeks. Negotiations leader Rianne Letschert said this week would be decisive in determining the form of a future cabinet.

Talks will now continue on the substance of the coalition agreement. Caretaker finance minister Eelco Heinen said the parties are already well advanced in their planning, but that the policies under discussion will require substantial funding.