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2025–2026 Dutch cabinet formation

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Incoming minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen (l) and outgoing minister David van Weel sign the transfer documents on 23 February 2026

Following the Dutch general election on 29 October 2025, a process of cabinet formation was started. On 4 November 2025, Wouter Koolmees was selected as scout, after being nominated by the largest party, Democrats 66 (D66). There was no obvious majority coalition, as the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) ruled out a coalition with GroenLinks-PvdA (GL-PvdA), and D66 did not want to form a government which included both JA21 and the VVD.

On Koolmees' advice, D66 and Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) started substantial negotiations on 13 November 2025. They were guided by informateur Sybrand Buma (CDA), with Hans Wijers (D66) having resigned on the second day after doubts emerged regarding his neutrality. The document drawn up by D66 and CDA was unable to break the deadlock.

Buma subsequently advised continuing negotiations with the VVD included. The talks took place under the guidance of informateur Rianne Letschert (D66) from 10 December 2025. D66, VVD and CDA agreed to form a minority cabinet and presented their coalition agreement on 30 January 2026. Selection of ministers and state secretaries began on 3 February 2026 with D66 leader Rob Jetten as formateur. The 28 members of the Jetten cabinet were sworn in on 23 February 2026.

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
  Markuszower Group (ex-PVV) (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, and also repeatedly made clear it did not want to join a coalition with the GL-PvdA.[1]

Election results

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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] Based on the results, a centrist cabinet of D66, VVD, CDA, and GroenLinks-PvdA would have a majority of 86 seats in the House. The VVD's preferred "centre-right" cabinet of D66, VVD, CDA, and JA21 would have 75 seats, and would require a fifth party to reach a majority.[3]

Scout Koolmees

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Scout Wouter Koolmees (D66), 2017

Because of uncertainty over which party would end up as the largest, the selection of a scout was postponed until 4 November.[4] President of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen and former minister Wouter Koolmees was selected as scout, as proposed by his party, D66.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans preferred a right-wing coalition with a majority, and said there was no chance of a coalition with GroenLinks–PvdA.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11][12] 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.[13]

On 7 November, Koolmees met with Jetten and Eerdmans, and separately with Yeşilgöz and Klaver. Neither meeting changed the positions of VVD or D66 regarding GroenLinks–PvdA and JA21 respectively.[14] 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.[6]

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.[15] 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.[16]

Informateur Sybrand Buma (CDA), 2018

Jetten, Bontenbal, and Buma invited experts and interest groups to update them on the five themes,[17] accompanied by co-negotiators Jan Paternotte (D66) and Bart van den Brink (CDA).[18] They composed a joint document parallel to the meetings,[17] intended as an outreach to other parties, which was presented along with Buma's interim report on 2 December.[19] 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.[20]

Buma presented the document to the other party leaders over the next two days. Although most parties saw points of agreement, the deadlocks persisted. On 5 December, Buma met with the leaders of D66, VVD, GL-PvdA, CDA, and JA21. His proposal for a five-party coalition was not received enthusiastically and was blocked by the VVD. GL-PvdA also ruled out providing confidence and supply to a minority government.[21]

Over the weekend, it was decided that D66, VVD, and CDA would continue negotiations on a "basic governing agreement", while still keeping the option of a majority coalition open. On 8 December, Buma presented his recommendation for the three parties to proceed with negotiations.[22]

Informateur Letschert

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Informateur Rianne Letschert (D66), 2015

On 10 December, president of Maastricht University Rianne Letschert was appointed as informateur, with the assignment proposed by Buma and a deadline of 30 January.[23] On 14 and 15 December, negotiations took place between the party leaders of D66, CDA, and VVD at De Zwaluwenberg [nl].[3] The negotiators took a break from 24 December to 5 January due to the holidays.[24][25]

Minority cabinet

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On 8 and 9 January, they met again at De Zwaluwenberg. On the morning of 9 January, Letschert demanded that the party leaders choose the form of the coalition, otherwise she would resign as informateur. D66 and CDA had become increasingly open to a minority cabinet and persuaded the VVD after Letschert's intervention. After Yeşilgöz consulted her parliamentary group digitally for approval, the decision was made public in the afternoon.[26][3]

Letschert and the negotiators then met with the other parliamentary leaders separately. Eerdmans expressed disappointment that his party was not allowed to participate, but said he was positive towards the idea of a minority cabinet. 50Plus also indicated it would adopt a cooperative stance. The SGP and ChristianUnion were also willing to offer support, but warned about their red lines regarding medical ethics and freedom of education.[27]

Klaver stated that he intended to be a responsible opposition. After the conversation, he said that, in his view, the negotiators still had no idea how they intended to secure a majority.[28] A week later, during his New Year's speech, Klaver announced that the party was open to deals with the minority cabinet, particularly on issues such as the nitrogen crisis, housing construction, and nature restoration. He stipulated as a condition that the cabinet must not dismantle the welfare state.[29]

The only parliamentary leader who did not attend was Wilders.[30] Within the parliamentary party, some MPs wanted the group to cooperate constructively with the minority government. When this and other grievances were not addressed, seven members of parliament, led by Gidi Markuszower, decided to split and form the Markuszower Group. The new group then informed Letschert that they were willing to meet the negotiators for talks.[31]

Coalition agreement

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In the week before the deadline, the parties discussed finances, on which they had long failed to reach an agreement. On 26 January, Letschert again threatened to resign if they did not reach a breakthrough within an hour. Letschert's intervention was successful, and the evening of 27 January, the negotiators reached an agreement.[32] The next day, the parliamentary groups of D66, VVD and CDA approved the agreement.[33]

On 30 January, the party leaders presented the agreement with the title Aan de slag ("Get started"). The agreement included increases in spending on defence (to meet the 5% NATO pledge) and education, paid for by higher taxes and cuts to health care and unemployment benefits.[34]

Formateur Jetten

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Formateur Rob Jetten (D66), 2025

On 3 February 2026, the House debated the agreement. The opposition focused on the faster increase of the state pension (AOW) age in the coalition agreement. With a narrow majority, a motion against it was rejected because the coalition was supported by the SGP and the Markuszower Group. At the end of the evening, the House passed a motion to appoint Jetten as formateur.[35]

On 5 February, the parties agreed on the distribution of ministers and state secretaries. Of the 18 ministers, seven were provided by D66, six by VVD, and five by CDA. Each party provided three state secretaries, supplemented by Sandra Palmen, who remained as the independent State Secretary for Benefits and Redress.[36] The Ministry of Asylum and Migration, Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth and Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning were merged back into the ministries they were separated from in 2024.[37]

De Volkskrant reported on 16 February that Nathalie van Berkel, the D66 candidate for State Secretary of Finance, had included incorrect information about her education on her CV. Van Berkel subsequently withdrew,[38] and was replaced by Eelco Eerenberg.[39]

The incoming cabinet held its constitutive deliberation on 21 February 2026, after which Jetten handed in his final report as formateur. The cabinet was sworn in on 23 February 2026.

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. ^ a b c van der Goot, Edo; Orving, Sanne (14 February 2026). "Reconstructie: Knoop over minderheidscoalitie werd aan ontbijttafel doorgehakt". Nu.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Borst, Thomas (5 November 2025). "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.
  8. ^ Stift, Ruben (5 November 2025). "JA21 of GroenLinks-PvdA? Bontenbal weigert voorkeur uit te spreken". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 November 2025.
  9. ^ Stift, Ruben (5 November 2025). "Stop met uitsluiten PVV, verzoekt Eerdmans (JA21) andere partijen". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  10. ^ Bouwman, Boris (5 November 2025). "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.
  11. ^ "Bikker ziet geen rol voor ChristenUnie in kabinet, Van Baarle wil zo progressief mogelijke coalitie". NRC (in Dutch). 6 November 2025. Archived from the original on 6 November 2025.
  12. ^ Bouwman, Boris (6 November 2025). "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.
  13. ^ "Stoffer wil 'centrumrechts' met D66 ook niet gedogen". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 6 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  14. ^ Aharouay, Lamyae; Koning, Petra (7 November 2025). "Kopjes koffie bij Koolmees, maar de blokkades blijven". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Doel volgende formatiefase: D66 en CDA moeten doorbraak vinden op stikstof en energie". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 13 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  16. ^ Berkeljon, Sara; Hendrickx, Frank (29 November 2025). "Hans Wijers' val als informateur ettert nog altijd door: wat gebeurde er precies?". de Volkskrant (in Dutch).
  17. ^ a b Valk, Guus (21 November 2025). "Bij D66 en CDA weten ze nu ook dat het Dilan Yesilgöz menens is". NRC (in Dutch).
  18. ^ "Wie zijn Jan Paternotte en Bart van den Brink, de rechterhanden van Jetten en Bontenbal?". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 15 November 2025.
  19. ^ Pronk, Stephan (2 December 2025). "Informateur Buma overhandigt tussenrapport aan Kamervoorzitter Van Campen". NRC (in Dutch).
  20. ^ 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).
  21. ^ "Partijleiders moeten dit weekend 'nadenken', nadat ook vijfpartijenkabinet is afgeschoten". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 5 December 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  22. ^ Derix, Steven; Uijtewaal, Rosa (8 December 2025). "De formatie gaat verder met D66, CDA en VVD – hoewel nauwelijks vooruitgang is geboekt. 'Het wordt een ingewikkeld gesprek'". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  23. ^ "D66, CDA en VVD hebben 51 dagen om tot een akkoord te komen". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  24. ^ "Formerende partijen gaan 'met goed gevoel' de kerstdagen in". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 23 December 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  25. ^ Klaassen, Niels (5 January 2026). "Formatietrio zoekt naarstig naar steun na korte pauze: deze kleine oppositiepartij heeft dan 'ook nog wel wat eisen'". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  26. ^ Koole, Stephan; Hankel, Arne (12 February 2026). "Reconstructie 'saaiste formatie ooit': informateur dwong onderhandelaars tot actie". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  27. ^ van de Ven, Liam; de Koning, Petra (13 January 2026). "Een minderheidskabinet-Jetten, de oppositie twijfelt: meedoen of 'een lijn trekken'?". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  28. ^ Kieskamp, Wilma (14 January 2026). "Wie steekt als eerste de hand uit? Zolang D66, VVD en CDA zelf nog onderhandelen, kijkt iedereen de kat uit de boom". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  29. ^ "GL-PvdA onder voorwaarden bereid tot sluiten van deals met nieuw kabinet". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  30. ^ "PVV-afsplitsers in brief aan Letschert: wij willen wél praten". L1 (in Dutch). 20 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  31. ^ den Hartog, Tobias (20 January 2026). "Scheuring van de PVV bereikt ook de formatietafel". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  32. ^ Klaassen, Niels; den Hartog, Tobias (12 February 2026). "Formatie zonder franje: opeens is er een gat van 27 miljard en zet Bontenbal dat ene lied van Willeke Alberti in". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  33. ^ "Fracties D66, VVD en CDA scharen zich achter akkoord met titel 'Aan de slag'". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 29 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  34. ^ de Haan, Marko (30 January 2026). "Op zoek naar miljarden voor veiligheid en onderwijs snijdt de coalitie in zorg en sociale zekerheid". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  35. ^ "Jetten op zoek naar ministers, coalitieakkoord na kritisch debat nog overeind". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 4 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  36. ^ de Groot, Joep (5 February 2026). "Verdeling bewindslieden bekend: Landbouw en Klimaat naar D66, VVD levert ministers van Financiën, Defensie en Justitie". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  37. ^ "Verdwijnen van minister zonder portefeuille leidt tot 'staatsrechtelijke verrommeling'". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 15 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  38. ^ van Bekkum, Dylan (16 February 2026). "Van Berkel wordt toch geen staatssecretaris na onthulling onduidelijkheid cv". de Volkskrant. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  39. ^ "Eelco Eerenberg nieuwe beoogd D66-staatssecretaris". NOS Nieuws (in Dutch). 19 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
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