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The pressure cooker had to be on the fire. That is what formation sources advised earlier this week to achieve a breakthrough in the formation after an excruciatingly slow summer. In the Johan de Witthuis, the temperature did indeed rise on Tuesday. It was an exasperated CU leader Gert-Jan Segers who came to blow off steam and aimed his arrows at D66 leader Sigrid Kaag.
Kaag had stated in an interview on Monday that he was not interested in continuing the current cabinet ‘in this phase of the formation’. She designated CU as the party to which she objects. She put forward the ‘medical-ethical’ file as a reason for blocking the Christian party.
At Segers, the statements have been bad. “I have read that we are undesirable,” he said prior to his visit to informateur Hamer with VVD and D66. “Then why am I invited?” he wondered aloud. “I have always been constructive, but it stops at some point.” Segers said with pity that the conversation with the informant could be short. Still, he stayed inside for more than two hours.
Hearty Conversation
Afterwards, he indicated that he had had ‘a solid conversation’. He let it be known that he has not heard from Kaag and Rutte that he is now wanted and needed. He doesn’t give up. He remains constructive. “The ball is with VVD and D66,” he said.
It is Rutte and Kaag who will now have to arm wrestle about the route that must now be chosen. Will it be the Kaag coalition that VVD and CDA have always rejected because they think a coalition with both PvdA and GL, especially in view of the election results, is much too left-wing? Or does Kaag have to give in by telling Segers that he is indeed needed and wanted. According to those involved, alternatives are also being looked at that are less painful for both camps.
Where Segers pulled the emergency brake, PvdA and GL were eager to get started after their conversation with Hamer, VVD and D66. Party leaders Lilianne Ploumen and Jesse Klaver see ‘many leads’ in the formation of VVD and D66 to ‘start real conversations’, said Ploumen. “There is a good basis,” added Klaver.
Earlier in the day, CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra still did not say ‘yes’ to the question of whether the CDA is actually prepared to join the cabinet. He did indicate that his party is ‘constructive’ about it. Hoekstra: “This phase requires reasonableness from everyone.” The CDA member made his statements before Segers set off his bomb in the formation room.
Hoekstra sees in the formation document of VVD and D66 “things that he likes, but also things that he does not like.” The party informs De Telegraaf that it is still not interested in a cabinet containing both PvdA and GL.
This puts the formation under high voltage again. This also happened earlier because of ‘reconnaissance gate’ and the ‘function elsewhere’ for CDA MP Omtzigt.
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Wopke Hoekstra (CDA) arrives for a meeting with informateur Mariette Hamer about the cabinet formation.
Ⓒ ANP /HH
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