--Previous Message--
: The day after the election, the King will
: speak with all leaders of political parties
: that have gained a place in parliament.
:
: As there is a record number of parties
: participating, it may be possible that the
: King will need more than one day to talk
: with all leaders.
:
: They will tell him what they want, what they
: see as a possibility. The King starts with
: the smallest party/ parties first by the
: way.
:
: After all these meetings, the King will
: speak with his advisors, including the
: vice-president of the Council of State, the
: chairmen of the First and Second Chamber and
: perhaps one of two retired politicians/
: Ministers of State.
:
: He will then appoint an 'informateur'
: someone who will speak with the leaders of
: the political parties in more detail.
: The informateur is almost always a retired
: politician, like a former prime-minister or
: deputy prime-minister.
:
: The informateur will come to his conclusion
: about what coalitions are possible, and
: these possibilities will not include the PVV
: of Geert Wilders because 1. no other party
: wants to work with him and 2. he is not
: interested in governing himself as that
: would include making compromises and taking
: responsibility.
:
: The Second Chamber will then appoint a
: formateur, often the political leader of the
: biggest party in the envisioned coalition.
: He will talk with the other parties in that
: (possible) future coalition and they will
: come up with a 'regeerakkoord' (government
: agreement). That is essentially the
: wheeling-and-dealing document where one
: party gives up point A in return for point B
: etc.
:
: The appointment of the formateur is no
: longer a royal prerogative, the Second
: Chamber decided to take that into their own
: hands. However, if it proves too difficult
: (for example after two or three formation
: negotiations will fail...not unlikely with
: the diverse political landscape where a
: coalition probably requires four or even
: five parties to gain a majority), the Second
: Chamber may decide to pass the hot potato to
: the King.
:
: If they do, you can be sure that the King
: will ensure that he is not seen as in any
: way partisan in the political debate so he
: will give Wilders time to explore, if
: Wilders want it.
:
: --Previous Message--
: I hope that this does not become a political
: discussion, but I have a question about the
: King's role in the aftermath of the coming
: election.
:
: My understanding is that the King must offer
: the leader of the party which wins the most
: seats the first opportunity to form a
: government. In the current context, however,
: it seems that there is a possibility that
: the party which wins the most seats may be
: one with which all of the other parties have
: already vowed not to enter into a coalition.
: If that is the result, does HM still offer
: that party's leader (Mr. Wilders) the
: mandate to form a new government, or does
: the King have discretion to ask someone else
: who might have a better chance at forming a
: coalition?
:
:
:
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