Seven parties discuss economic strategy as coalition talks continue

Seven political parties took part in round table talks with Mariëtte Hamer, who is leading the talks to put together a new coalition government on Wednesday morning.

The leaders of the four parties who make up the outgoing coalition – VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie – were joined by the leaders of the Labour party (PvdA), left-wing greens GroenLinks and the Socialist Party to discuss strategy for economic recovery after the coronavirus crisis.

Prime minister and VVD leader Mark Rutte said after the meeting that the seven parties had agreed to keep the subjects which were discussed ‘a little quiet’ in the interests of the formation process.

CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra said Hamer was using the meeting to see which parties can work together in terms of the content rather than who is going to form the coalition. ‘But I would be happy with some speed,’ he said.

The PvdA and GroenLinks have made it clear that they will only negotiate on forming a new coalition together while the SP has said it does not necessarily see a role for itself in a new coalition.

Later this week, Hamer is expected to hold meetings with two more clusters of parties. The first, according to broadcaster NOS, is likely to be made up of the four far right parties – PVV, Forum voor Democratie, the Forum spin-off led by Wybren van Haga and JA21 which also broke off from Forum before the election. In those talks, immigration is likely to be the main subject.