Minority Coalition Deal Paves Way for Netherlands' Youngest PM
The Dutch government is on the cusp of taking shape with three parties agreeing to form a minority coalition, three months after the D66 party pulled off an upset victory in the country's general election. The new alliance will be led by Rob Jetten, who at 38 years old is set to become the Netherlands' youngest ever prime minister.
The coalition comprises the liberal-progressive D66, the conservative Christian Democrats, and the right-wing VVD parties, which together hold only 66 seats in the 150-seat lower house. The far-right Freedom party, led by Geert Wilders, was excluded from the deal after a tight October election saw both parties win 26 seats.
"We're incredibly eager to get started," said Jetten, who vowed to tackle major issues such as international security, domestic security, and affordable homes within his first few weeks in office. The government's plans include significant investment in defense and infrastructure.
The decision to form a minority coalition was unusual, with the VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz refusing to consider including the left-leaning GroenLinks/PvdA alliance due to its perceived radicalism. Similarly, efforts to involve the radical-right populist JA21 party were met with resistance from D66.
However, the GroenLinks-PvdA leader Jesse Klaver has expressed a willingness to negotiate agreements on a case-by-case basis, offering "responsible opposition" to support the new government on key issues such as environmental reforms and accelerating housebuilding. The party, now the largest opposition force in parliament, will scrutinize the government's proposals closely.
The breakaway group from Wilders' PVV, which lost almost a third of its seats in the election, has attacked his election strategy, criticizing his approach to immigration. However, the two other far-right parties that gained seats in the election continue to advance in the polls.
The new cabinet will be formally sworn in by mid-February and must work with opposition parties in the fragmented Dutch parliament to pass legislation. The government's slim majority in the senate means it may struggle to block laws passed by the lower house.
The Dutch government is on the cusp of taking shape with three parties agreeing to form a minority coalition, three months after the D66 party pulled off an upset victory in the country's general election. The new alliance will be led by Rob Jetten, who at 38 years old is set to become the Netherlands' youngest ever prime minister.
The coalition comprises the liberal-progressive D66, the conservative Christian Democrats, and the right-wing VVD parties, which together hold only 66 seats in the 150-seat lower house. The far-right Freedom party, led by Geert Wilders, was excluded from the deal after a tight October election saw both parties win 26 seats.
"We're incredibly eager to get started," said Jetten, who vowed to tackle major issues such as international security, domestic security, and affordable homes within his first few weeks in office. The government's plans include significant investment in defense and infrastructure.
The decision to form a minority coalition was unusual, with the VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz refusing to consider including the left-leaning GroenLinks/PvdA alliance due to its perceived radicalism. Similarly, efforts to involve the radical-right populist JA21 party were met with resistance from D66.
However, the GroenLinks-PvdA leader Jesse Klaver has expressed a willingness to negotiate agreements on a case-by-case basis, offering "responsible opposition" to support the new government on key issues such as environmental reforms and accelerating housebuilding. The party, now the largest opposition force in parliament, will scrutinize the government's proposals closely.
The breakaway group from Wilders' PVV, which lost almost a third of its seats in the election, has attacked his election strategy, criticizing his approach to immigration. However, the two other far-right parties that gained seats in the election continue to advance in the polls.
The new cabinet will be formally sworn in by mid-February and must work with opposition parties in the fragmented Dutch parliament to pass legislation. The government's slim majority in the senate means it may struggle to block laws passed by the lower house.
. The VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz refusing to include the left-leaning GroenLinks/PvdA alliance on grounds of radicalism is just another symptom of how parties are polarizing 
. Meanwhile, Jetten's plans for defense and infrastructure sound good on paper, but have we seen any real leadership from him yet? And what about those two far-right parties that gained seats in the election - do they really represent the Netherlands' future or just a fringe minority? 
I guess time will tell if this new government can deliver... but for now, it's all about coalition politics and compromise 
.
can't wait to see what he does with his promises on affordability and security... seems like a tough road ahead for him tho, especially with 66 seats in parliament and all those different parties to please. hope he stays true to himself and doesn't get too caught up in coalition politics 
just read that Rob Jetten is gonna be 38 yrs old & PM 
Netherlands is getting a new gov 
with D66, CDP, VVD parties forming a coalition 
it's interesting that there are still parties like PVV and JA21 in the polls, but their influence seems limited 
around 63% of Dutch people voted for parties represented in this new gov 
with an estimated 35% of voters choosing D66 specifically 