The Dutch cabinet’s crisis talks ended in deadlock on Friday after more than seven hours, and the coalition will survive for the time being, though talks will continue over the weekend.
Prime minister Rob Jetten met right-wing liberal VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz and Christian Democrat CDA deputy prime minister Bart van den Brink on Friday morning, following Thursday night’s vote on the tax plan, which the VVD says broke the coalition agreement.
Yesilgöz, speaking at a press conference after the talks, said the political situation cannot continue as things stand. She described the current minority coalition as a “failed experiment” and said that a government collapse was a “possible solution”, while acknowledging no one wants to plunge the country into another election.
Jetten, who spoke before her, said that “things have not gone well recently, and that is affecting mutual relations”. “That can and must be better: substantively, politically, and personally.”
While the cabinet has not yet collapsed, VVD sources told the Telegraaf that no progress had been made and the impasse continues.
If the talks had ended on Friday, “it could have gone wrong”, Jetten said.
