THE HAGUE — Leaders of the Netherlands’ three governing parties resumed emergency negotiations on Sunday over the future of Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s minority government, with the coalition’s survival still undecided after a bitter dispute over wealth taxation brought it close to collapse.
The negotiations resumed on Sunday, November 15, at the De Zwaluwenberg estate in Hilversum. Jetten, VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz and CDA deputy leader Bart van den Brink are seeking a way forward following an inconclusive first round of discussions, with the VVD questioning whether the existing minority-government arrangement can continue at all.
The immediate trigger was a controversial tax agreement negotiated by Jetten’s centrist Democrats 66 (D66) and the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with two opposition parties, Progressive Netherlands (PRO) and Volt. The agreement secured parliamentary support for the government’s 2027 tax plan, providing for a greater tax burden on wealthier households while reducing taxation for middle- and lower-income groups. The proposal was approved by the Dutch House of Representatives on Thursday, November 12, despite opposition from the VVD, which voted against its own government’s tax package.
Yeşilgöz described the minority cabinet as a failed experiment and argued that the current arrangement could not continue without fundamental changes. The VVD has demanded a different balance within the coalition, stronger guarantees for the business and investment climate, and an end to cooperation with left-wing opposition groups on major policy decisions when the VVD does not agree.
The crisis has already survived one near-collapse. After about seven hours of crisis talks in The Hague on Friday, the VVD agreed to stay in the cabinet for now, a day after it voted against the government’s own tax plan. Jetten said the relationship “can and must be better,” and that “the conversation is not yet over.” The leaders met again on Saturday at the De Zwaluwenberg estate, with no outcome announced, before resuming talks on Sunday.
The dispute has highlighted the difficulties of governing without a parliamentary majority. Jetten’s coalition holds only 66 of the 150 lower-house seats and has no majority in the Senate, where the tax plan goes next, with no date for a vote announced. The coalition depends on negotiations with opposition parties to pass legislation, and the latest confrontation has shown how quickly that model can become unstable when governing parties disagree over which political partners should be involved.
Senior Dutch administrators and constitutional experts have warned against allowing the cabinet to collapse. Four prominent figures interviewed by the current-affairs programme NOS Nieuwsuur argued that another political breakdown would serve neither the Netherlands nor its wider interests. Sharon Dijksma, mayor of Utrecht and chair of the Association of Dutch Municipalities, warned it would be irresponsible for the government to become a caretaker administration, particularly given the international circumstances facing the country. Former vice-president of the Council of State Thom de Graaf proposed appointing an independent facilitator to help the coalition parties overcome their disagreements, and questioned whether new elections would offer a meaningful solution, warning they could produce months of caretaker government and another prolonged coalition-formation process. A proposal for restarting the government-formation process, put forward by Christian Union parliamentary leader Mirjam Bikker, has already received majority support.
Early elections nevertheless remain a possibility. Recent opinion polls suggest PRO could emerge as the largest party, while the right-wing JA21 is also gaining support; by contrast, D66, the VVD and the CDA could lose parliamentary seats. The Netherlands’ political system has become increasingly fragmented, with 17 parties represented in the House of Representatives and 20 in the Senate, complicating legislative negotiations and making it harder for governments to maintain consistent support.
The stakes extend beyond Dutch domestic politics. The Netherlands is an important EU and NATO member, and prolonged political uncertainty could complicate fiscal policy, undermine confidence among businesses and investors, and weaken the government’s ability to respond consistently to domestic and international challenges. In neighbouring Belgium, Prime Minister Bart De Wever faces his own deadline on Monday, when he must report to King Philippe on budget negotiations after the king rejected his resignation.
