Dutch Government on the verge of falling.

[freek]

I remember Eurlings' exit back in 2010. I do feel a bit bad for finding his relational troubles afterwards to be so inherently amusing.

I do feel sorry for him too, his girlfriend was rather attractive.

You're on the centre-right, if I remember correctly, Freek. Are you intending to vote VVD?

I guess so. Not sure yet, I am always in doubt between CDA & VVD (on the European level, I have voted CU/SGP in the past). But I guess it will be VVD this time.

I was not a supporter of the past coalition though.

[freek]

PvdA is now willing to compromise on September 5 as election date, which gives a large majority in parliament for this date.

[King]

Knowing nothing of Dutch government, this is quite the interesting thread. Freek's character bios were particularly hilarious.

[Secretary of Labor Earthling]

PvdA is now willing to compromise on September 5 as election date, which gives a large majority in parliament for this date.

It will probably be September 12.

[I left.]

PvdA is now willing to compromise on September 5 as election date, which gives a large majority in parliament for this date.

It will probably be September 12.

Isn't that a relatively long time to be without a "functioning" government? (Guess Belgians might not see it that way )

[jeron]

PvdA is now willing to compromise on September 5 as election date, which gives a large majority in parliament for this date.

It will probably be September 12.

Isn't that a relatively long time to be without a "functioning" government? (Guess Belgians might not see it that way )

Yes. It was a choice between the end of June (before the summer vacation), but that would have meant there was little time for parties to prepare for the elections, or after the summer vacation.

[ingemann]

To appease the SGP the liberal VVD:

- retracted its support for a co-sponsored bill to remove blasphemy from criminal law;
- voted against a resolution that would force civil servants to marry same-sex couples;
- rejected an initiative to grant the elderly the right to end their lives if they so desire.

Do it really matter, as I see it, that's mostly symbolic issues except the last, when was the last time anybody was found guilty of blasphemy in a court of law? As for issue two; have it kept anybody from being married by somebody else?

[Angel of Death]

In a surprise development, a makeshift coalition consisting of VVD, CDA, D66, GL and CU have managed in short order to reach a (provisional) budget deal which still respects the 3-percent-deficit rule.

[Insula Dei]

Urgh, remember now why I don't like GL under Sap. Stil, this at least means the PvdA's hands are clean.

[Lief]

Does this mean the election is off?

[Insula Dei]

Does this mean the election is off?

No, this is just so there is a 'satisfactory' budget. One could even ask how much of what's been agreed will ever really be acted upon.

[freek]

Does this mean the election is off?

No, this is just so there is a 'satisfactory' budget. One could even ask how much of what's been agreed will ever really be acted upon.

Election date is now fixed at 12 September by the government.

Yes, most measures may never be acted upon, but some will. The VAT raise will be effective from October 1st for example.

Parties not participating in the budget talks (PVV, PvdA, SP) have taken a hit in the polls, especially the PvdA. A majority of the PvdA voters actually doesn't disagree with the agreement.

The VVD/CDA/D66/GL/CU-coalition is called the 'Kunduz coalition' in the Netherlands. It is named after the Afghan city where a Dutch police training mission was deployed last year. PVV did not want to agree with this government proposal, but D66, GL and CU did.

Latest polls:
TNS NIPO April 30 (compared with previous poll of March 20)
VVD 32 (-1)
CDA 15 (nc)
PVV 19 (-1)
PvdA 20 (-3)
SP 29 (nc)
D66 16 (+3)
GL 8 (+3)
CU 5 (-1)
SGP 2 (nc)
PvdD 2 (nc)
50Plus 2 (+1)
Other 0 (nc)

Peil.nl/De Hond April 27 (compared with April 22)
VVD 31 (-2)
CDA 13 (+2)
PVV 17 (-2)
PvdA 19 (-5)
SP 31 (+1)
D66 17 (+2)
GL 8 (+3)
CU 7 (+1)
SGP 3 (nc)
PvdD 3 (nc)
50Plus 1 (nc)
Other 0 (nc)

[freek]

At the moment there are 4 candidates for the CDA leadership. Nominations close on May 4.

Candidates are Liesbeth Spies (Home Secretary), Sybrand van Haersma Buma (leader of the CDA fraction in parliament), Marcel Wintels (chairman of Fontys, a group of polytechnic schools) and Harry Wesselink (an unknown CDA member from Nijmegen).

Verhagen, De Jager and Van Bijsterveldt wil not participate for sure, not sure what Bleker will do.

For some unknown reason I didn't include Van Haersma Buma in my list of possible CDA leaders. Sybrand van Haersma Buma is a Frisian protestant, from a family of mayors, officers, and other public servants. He is an MP since 2002, and leader of the CDA fraction since 2010. Until that moment, he was relatively unknown, and he has remained that way. Although he was a proponent of the coalition agreement with the PVV, he didn't manage to give CDA its own profile in parliament. However, now CDA has been removed from the shackles of the coalition agreement, it is a different story. Van Haersma Buma excelled in the debate on the budget of last week, and all PVV inspired laws will either be abolished ("animal cops") or will not be voted upon (double nationality ban, burqa ban)

[Leftbehind]

Seems the SP is holding its figures.

[freek]

Seems the SP is holding its figures.

At the moment, yes. However, PvdA is aiming to take back some of the voters it has lost to the SP the last few years, by adopting a more leftist course than in the past.