Talks on forming a new Dutch coalition government resumed on Monday, with chief negotiator Rhianne Leschert describing the coming days as “crucial”.

On Monday, the three parties involved in the talks – D66, the Christian Democrats and the right-wing VVD – met for the first time in two weeks. The discussions, Leschert said, would focus on budgetary principles and the type of coalition that will be put in place.

The three parties control only 66 of the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament and need another party if they want to form a majority government.

“There are different options and we are looking at them together,” Leschert is quoted as saying by broadcaster NOS. “We need to make a choice this week.”

The VVD has ruled out sitting in a coalition with the GroenLinks–PvdA alliance, which won 20 seats in the October election.

D66 is not keen to involve the far-right party JA21, which won nine seats and is the preferred option of the VVD. Working with the far right party would leave D66 – the biggest party in parliament – as the only “progressive” party in a right-wing coalition.