Factbox-Deadline looms for agreement on Dutch coalition
AMSTERDAM - Dutch election winner Geert Wilders and his prospective right-wing government partners gathered on Tuesday for a new round of coalition talks as a deadline set for the end of May 15 loomed.
WHY HAVE TALKS LASTED SO LONG?
Talks on forming the most right-wing government in recent Dutch history have dragged on for almost six months since the nationalist Wilders' upset election victory on Nov. 22, as parties remained divided over migration policies and government finances.
WHO WILL BECOME PRIME MINISTER?
The four negotiating parties have set a May 15 deadline for reaching a headline agreement.
But with one day to go, the leader of the centrist NSC said they still had to agree on government finances. It also remained unclear who would become prime minister.
Wilders said in March he would forego that role. The other three party leaders will also remain in parliament.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IF THERE'S AN AGREEMENT?
A decision is expected late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday, so that factions can respond to the deal before the deadline expires at the stroke of midnight.
If there is a deal, a new lead negotiator will be tasked with forming a cabinet of ministers, which parties have said would consist mainly of political outsiders with looser ties to parliament.
WHAT'S NEXT IF THEY DON'T AGREE?
If talks collapse, parliament could give former European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans' Labour/Green combination the lead role in a new round of talks.
Timmermans, runner-up in the election, has excluded working with Wilders but is willing to talk with the other main conservative parties.
Those, however, face resentment against Timmermans among their members, who still favour a coalition with Wilders.
If those talks failed, or if Timmermans' prospective partners refused to engage in a new round of talks, a new election would become inevitable.
Source: Reuters
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