The appointment of a “scout” to explore coalition possibilities in the Netherlands has been delayed due to the unclear outcome of recent elections. Speaker of the House Martin Bosma will meet with parliamentary group leaders to discuss the election results and initiate the process of appointing this individual.

The scout’s role is to investigate potential governing coalitions by holding talks with parliamentary group leaders from all parties. This person then drafts a report for the House of Representatives, outlining the most promising coalition options or those meriting further exploration.

Originally scheduled for the Friday immediately following the elections, the discussion regarding the scout’s appointment has been postponed to the following Tuesday. The delay stems from the uncertainly surrounding the election winner, with both Geert Wilders of the PVV and Rob Jetten of D66 vying for the position.

Wilders stated the PVV’s intention to lead the formation process if they emerge as the largest party and expressed opposition to D66 appointing the scout until the election results are definitively clear.

The delayed timeline has been met with quiet relief from some major parties, allowing members of parliament and party leaders to rest after an intense campaign period.

The process of forming a new government follows a structured plan. After the scout is appointed and conducts discussions, the old House of Representatives will be dissolved, followed by the installation of the new House.

Within a week of the new House’s installation, parties will debate the election results and the scout’s recommendations on possible coalitions.

Following this, an “informateur” is appointed to lead negotiations within a specific coalition, aiming to reach a coalition agreement. Past coalition formations have varied significantly in length, with the longest lasting 299 days. The average duration since 1945 is 103 days, making the intention to complete this formation before Christmas a challenging goal.