Netherlands talks to form government end in failure

Five months after votes were counted in a general election in the Netherlands, the composition of the next government remains unknown.

With no clear winner emerging from the March 17 vote, caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte's right-of-center People's Party for Freedom and Democracy has been talking to smaller parties ever since about forming a coalition government.

But those talks finally broke down in acrimony on Tuesday, with The Associated Press reporting that the nation is now likely headed for a highly unstable minority government.

AP said Rutte had cobbled together a potential majority government made up of five political parties, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with it because it was too unwieldy and right-of-center parties, including his own, did not want to share power with those on the left.

Jesse Klaver, leader of the green party GroenLinks, told AP that Rutte's decision to abandon the five-party coalition "did not fit in the Dutch tradition" of multiparty governments. "Democracy is the loser today," he said.

Lilianne Ploumen, leader of the left-leaning Labour Party, which was also set to be part of the coalition, told AP that it is a great shame.

"I would have really liked to negotiate with (the larger parties in the coalition) about, for example, raising the minimum wage," she said.

Rutte's party, which is known by the acronym VVD, now looks set to form a minority government with the Christian Democratic Appeal, which is known as the CDA, and Democrats 66, or D66, the second-place finisher in the March election.

"We don't think five parties are sensible or logical," said Wopke Hoekstra, leader of the CDA, who was quoted by tabloid newspaper News.nl after talks ended on Tuesday.

News.nl said the three right-of-center parties would be able to muster 73 seats, which would be three short of a majority.

Rutte told De Telegraaf newspaper that he believes he will be able to get support from elements within GroenLinks and Labour to get the three votes he needs to win votes in parliament.

"On the issues of going green, climate change, nitrogen emissions and education, we know what the score is," he said. "So, we will absolutely be reaching out and looking for substantial cooperation in a new cabinet. But not in a five-party cabinet."

News.nl added that both VVD and D66 could also potentially form a minority government independently and exclude the other.

Rutte, who has served three terms as prime minister, would become the nation's longest-serving leader if he manages to hold on to power for another term.

But AP said it will take several weeks for the next round of talks to finish and for it to become clear whether he is able to form a minority government.