'Purple plus' coalition talks fail, it's back to the drawing board
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Talks on forming a coalition government between the two Liberal parties, Labour and the left-wing greens GroenLinks stranded on Tuesday evening on differences about how much to cut from government spending.
The four parties were in their third week of talks on forming a so-called purple plus cabinet, named after the combination of party colours.
VVD leader Mark Rutte said a very real effort had been made to bridge the differences between the parties but in the end the talks 'broke down down over the finances', Nos tv reported.
Cuts
The VVD wants to make cuts between now and 2015 of €18bn - a figure the party says is the bare minimum. Labour, D66 and GroenLinks say this was too much.
There are also sharp differences between them about reforming mortgage tax relief and introducing a tax on motoring.
The VVD is opposed to cuts in the mortgage tax break and road pricing. The other parties want mortgage reform and a kilometre tax.
Definitive
Rutte described the break as definitive. 'There will not be a purple cabinet,' he was quoted as saying.
The other parties were less final. 'I never say never,' Labour leader Job Cohen said.
'We knew before we started it would be difficult. Everyone did their very best,' the Telegraaf quoted him as saying.
D66 leader Alexander Pechtold and GroenLinks' Femke Halsema both said they were very disappointed with the outcome.
Three parties
Rutte will now advise the queen to look to forming a right centre left coalition between the VVD, Labour and Christian Democrats, Nos said. 'Given the circumstances, that is the most likely option,' he said.
The VVD took one more seat than Labour in the June general election, giving it the upper hand in the cabinet formation process.
But Labour leader Cohen opposes such a three-party groupimg because it involves two parties which lost support in the general election: Labour which lost three seats and the CDA which lost 20.
The two negotiators Uri Rosenthal and Jacques Wallage are expected to present their report on the negotiations to queen Beatrix on Wednesday afternoon.
More on this:
Few options open to Liberal leader
What should happen next? Take part in our poll
© DutchNews.nl
Meanwhile, we still have no government in NL
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SGawain235
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Mon 21st Sep 2009 01:06 am
Sadly, the Purple Plus was the best chance for what most people on ACD would support. It worries me now any party is in play, we could see the CDA in some form of power...not good for cannabis.SGawain235 wrote:Well, after reading briefly the difficulty involved just putting a government together, I feel a lot calmer about the legality of cannabis as it seems they don't have enough of a mandate to do a whole lot of changing.
BAD
VVD leader goes for right-wing option
Thursday 22 July 2010
New cabinet formation negotiator Ruud Lubbers must first look at forming a right wing cabinet between the VVD Liberals, anti-Islam PVV and Christian Democrats, VVD leader Mark Rutte said on Thursday.
Speaking after his meeting with Lubbers, Rutte said the right wing option had always been his preferred cabinet.
And Labour leader Job Cohen's refusal to discuss a left-centre-right coalition meant looking again at the right was the 'next logical step', Rutte said.
Koran
Earlier efforts to form a right-wing government involving the PVV floundered because the CDA refused to join in until the two other parties had reached agreement on controversial issues such as ethnic registration and a ban on the Koran.
'The most important thing now is that we get a stable government,' Rutte said, adding that he is concerned the formation process is taking too long.
Rutte was the first of the party leaders to meet Lubbers, appointed by queen Beatrix on Wednesday evening following the breakdown of talks on forming a 'purple plus' cabinet.
© DutchNews.nl
VVD leader goes for right-wing option
Thursday 22 July 2010
New cabinet formation negotiator Ruud Lubbers must first look at forming a right wing cabinet between the VVD Liberals, anti-Islam PVV and Christian Democrats, VVD leader Mark Rutte said on Thursday.
Speaking after his meeting with Lubbers, Rutte said the right wing option had always been his preferred cabinet.
And Labour leader Job Cohen's refusal to discuss a left-centre-right coalition meant looking again at the right was the 'next logical step', Rutte said.
Koran
Earlier efforts to form a right-wing government involving the PVV floundered because the CDA refused to join in until the two other parties had reached agreement on controversial issues such as ethnic registration and a ban on the Koran.
'The most important thing now is that we get a stable government,' Rutte said, adding that he is concerned the formation process is taking too long.
Rutte was the first of the party leaders to meet Lubbers, appointed by queen Beatrix on Wednesday evening following the breakdown of talks on forming a 'purple plus' cabinet.
© DutchNews.nl