2025 Dutch cabinet formation

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Following the 2025 Dutch general election on 29 October, an ongoing process of cabinet formation was started. On 4 November, Wouter Koolmees was selected as scout, after being nominated by the largest party, Democrats 66 (D66). On his advice, D66 and Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) started substantial negotiations on 13 November 2025. They are guided by informateur Sybrand Buma (CDA), after Hans Wijers (D66) resigned on the second day after doubts emerged regarding his neutrality.

Background

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Composition of the newly installed House of Representatives throughout the cabinet formation:
  GL-PvdA: 20
  SP: 3
  50+: 2
  PvdD: 3
  Volt: 1
  D66: 26
  DENK: 3
  CU: 3
  SGP: 3
  CDA: 18
  VVD: 22
  BBB: 4
  JA21: 9
  FvD: 7
  PVV: 26

Schoof cabinet and campaign

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The previous Schoof cabinet, established after the lengthy 2023–2024 cabinet formation, included the Party for Freedom (PVV), People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC), and Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB). The cabinet fell on 3 June 2025, after the PVV left the coalition due to disagreements on asylum policy.

During the campaign, possible coalitions were discussed. GL-PvdA, D66, CDA, and smaller parties continued to exclude the PVV. The VVD ruled out governing with the PVV, as it had done between 2023 and 2025. The VVD also repeatedly made clear it did not want to join a coalition with the GL-PvdA.[1]

Election results

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Based on the results, a centrist cabinet of D66, VVD, CDA, and GroenLinks-PvdA would have a majority of 86 seats in the House. A "centre-right" cabinet of D66, VVD, CDA, and JA21 would have 75 seats, and would require a fifth party to reach a majority. D66 and PVV won 26 seats each, with D66 winning more votes. 26 seats was the lowest number of seats ever won by the largest party.[2]

Scout Koolmees

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Former D66 minister Wouter Koolmees, who was appointed as scout

Because of uncertainty over which party would end up as the largest, the selection of a scout was postponed until 4 November.[3] President of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen and former minister Wouter Koolmees was selected as scout, as proposed by his party D66.[4]

Koolmees met the party leaders on 5 and 6 November. D66 party leader Rob Jetten expressed a preference for a centrist coalition.[1] He was open to negotiating with JA21 if not together with VVD.[5] GroenLinks–PvdA parliamentary leader Jesse Klaver, who was chosen after lead candidate Frans Timmermans retired following the electoral loss, was open to either governing or remaining in opposition. PVV leader Geert Wilders wanted to join a coalition, and ruled out providing confidence and supply.[6] VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz reiterated that the VVD did not want to form a coalition with GroenLinks–PvdA, instead favouring a centre-right coalition with JA21. CDA leader Henri Bontenbal refused to express a preference.[7] JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans preferred a right-wing coalition with a majority, and said there was no chance of a coalition with GroenLinks–PvdA.[8]

BBB leader Caroline van der Plas said she did not want to join a cabinet but was "not opposed" to a coalition of D66, VVD, CDA, and JA21.[9] SP leader Jimmy Dijk and CU leader Mirjam Bikker saw no role for their parties in a cabinet, and predicted the centrist cabinet as the most logical option.[10][11] SGP leader Chris Stoffer favoured the formation of a right-wing coalition, possibly with PVV, and ruled out joining or supporting a cabinet with D66.[12]

On 7 November, Koolmees met with Jetten and Eerdmans, and with Yeşilgöz and Klaver. Neither meeting changed the positions of VVD or D66 regarding GroenLinks–PvdA and JA21 respectively.[13] At the end of his assignment on 11 November, Koolmees advised that D66 and CDA should negotiate for three weeks. Their negotiations should focus on housing, nitrogen, the economy, international security, and migration.[5]

Informateurs Buma and Wijers

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Informateur Hans Wijers (D66), 2010

On 13 November, mayor of Leeuwarden and former CDA leader Sybrand Buma and former D66 minister Hans Wijers were appointed as informateurs, with the assignment proposed by Koolmees.[14] On the same day, NRC and De Telegraaf reported that Wijers had expressed a preference for a centrist cabinet on election night, and had called Yeşilgöz a liar. At a press conference on 13 November, he retracted his comments and apologised. On 14 November, NRC confronted Wijers with an older private message in which he called Yeşilgöz "a witch", at which point he resigned. Two weeks later, NRC corrected their first story, after journalist Eric Smit came forward to say that he, not Wijers, had called Yeşilgöz a liar.[15]

Jetten, Bontenbal, and Buma invited experts and interest groups to update them on the five themes, to signal that they take experts and civil society seriously and weigh their opinions in the formation.[16] They were accompanied by co-negotiators Jan Paternotte (D66) and Bart van den Brink (CDA).[17] Parallel to these meetings, they wrote a joint document.[16]

Informateur Sybrand Buma (CDA), 2018

On 2 December, the joint document and Buma's interim report were presented. The document was intended as an outreach to other parties.[18] The document included, among other things, a strict asylum policy, the retention of the Dispersal Act, and a phase-out of the mortgage interest deduction.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b Aharouay, Lamyae; de Koning, Petra (7 November 2025). "Kopjes koffie bij Koolmees, maar de blokkades blijven". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Een versnipperd Nederland, waarin niemand nog écht de grootste is". NRC (in Dutch). 30 October 2025. Archived from the original on 31 October 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  3. ^ Slomp, Priscilla (30 October 2025). "Nek-aan-nekrace D66 en PVV leidt tot dagen uitstel van aanwijzen verkenner". Nu.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  4. ^ De Groot, Joep; Benjamin, Jan (4 November 2025). "Wouter Koolmees gaat als verkenner eerste aanzet geven tot leggen van lastige 'formatiepuzzel'". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 4 November 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b de Haan, Marko; van de Ven, Liam (11 November 2025). "Koolmees adviseert dat D66 en CDA samen onderhandelen. Voor het eerst sinds jaren zónder de VVD". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  6. ^ Borst, Thomas. "Jetten verwacht 'intensief proces' tijdens verkenning: 'We gaan verschillende combinaties onderzoeken'". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  7. ^ Stift, Ruben. "JA21 of GroenLinks-PvdA? Bontenbal weigert voorkeur uit te spreken". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 November 2025.
  8. ^ Stift, Ruben. "Stop met uitsluiten PVV, verzoekt Eerdmans (JA21) andere partijen". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  9. ^ Bouwman, Boris. "Vanwege verlies neemt BBB liever geen plaats in nieuwe coalitie". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Bikker ziet geen rol voor ChristenUnie in kabinet, Van Baarle wil zo progressief mogelijke coalitie". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 6 November 2025.
  11. ^ Bouwman, Boris. "SP: krijgt werkende klasse straks klappen van 'mooie, stabiele en hoopvolle coalitie'?". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 6 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Stoffer wil 'centrumrechts' met D66 ook niet gedogen". NOS (in Dutch). 6 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  13. ^ Aharouay, Lamyae; Koning, Petra (7 November 2025). "Kopjes koffie bij Koolmees, maar de blokkades blijven". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Doel volgende formatiefase: D66 en CDA moeten doorbraak vinden op stikstof en energie". NOS (in Dutch). 13 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  15. ^ Berkeljon, Sara; Hendrickx, Frank (29 November 2025). "Hans Wijers' val als informateur ettert nog altijd door: wat gebeurde er precies?". de Volkskrant (in Dutch).
  16. ^ a b Valk, Guus (21 November 2025). "Bij D66 en CDA weten ze nu ook dat het Dilan Yesilgöz menens is". NRC (in Dutch).
  17. ^ "Wie zijn Jan Paternotte en Bart van den Brink, de rechterhanden van Jetten en Bontenbal?". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 15 November 2025.
  18. ^ Pronk, Stephan (2 December 2025). "Informateur Buma overhandigt tussenrapport aan Kamervoorzitter Van Campen". NRC (in Dutch).
  19. ^ Valk, Guus; de Haan, Marko (2 December 2025). "Wél rekeningrijden, geen CO2-heffing: Jetten en Bontenbal laten geen duidelijke coalitievoorkeur blijken in hun formatiestuk". NRC (in Dutch).
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