Leaders of most smaller parties do not want to participate in government, they tell scout Koolmees

First up for Koolmees this morning was DENK leader Stephan van Baarle. Van Baarle pleaded with the scout for a "coalition that is as progressive as possible." Van Baarle "categorically" ruled out the PVV and FVD parties and "preferably" did not want JA21 and VVD to join the government. Van Baarle's options would require at least seven parties.

Christian Union leader Mirjam Bikker doesn't see her party joining a cabinet. "Modesty suits me, as a party with three seats," she said. However, she promised to take a constructive stance from the opposition. "As far as I'm concerned, it's now truly the responsibility of D66, as the largest party, of a VVD, a CDA, and a GroenLinks-PvdA, to look each other in the eye honestly and see what's possible."

The SP also doesn't want to be in the next cabinet, party leader Jimmy Dijk told scout Koolmees. "A party that didn't win, like mine, should be modest."

After the meeting with Koolmees, Dijk said that a center-right cabinet of D66, VVD, CDA, and JA21 "is even further removed from the SP than a so-called centrist cabinet." He considers that centrist cabinet "actually also center-right."

SGP leader Chris Stoffer told the assembled press before his meeting with Koolmees that he has no interest in joining the cabinet with the election winner, D66. According to Stoffer, the differences with D66 are too great.

JA21's presence in a coalition wouldn't make up for that. "I see differences there too." According to Stoffer, it's not obvious to join a cabinet with D66, VVD, CDA, and JA21 as the fifth party.

Scout Wouter Koolmees acknowledges that the formation process will be difficult because some parties are unwilling to cooperate with others. "I also see that it's complicated," Koolmees said immediately after his formal appointment. Watch it here:

Esther Ouwehand of the Party for the Animals spoke with scout Koolmees primarily about how parties relate to the democratic rule of law. The parties she envisions forming a coalition with seemed less important to Ouwehand.

50PLUS, as a small party, will adopt a modest approach during the coalition formation, said parliamentary group leader Jan Struijs. However, he also stated that the two seats it will gain in the House of Representatives could be "important seats." He did not rule out coalition participation. Struijs said he could collaborate with many parties, placing his party "truly in the middle" of the political spectrum.

Laurens Dassen of Volt told scout Koolmees that, as a one-man faction, he hopes for a "broad majority government" of D66, VVD, CDA, and GroenLinks-PvdA. "Of course, we have to be careful that it doesn't become a bland, centrist government. Because that's just postponing the problems. We've seen that long enough now."

Forum for Democracy leader Lidewij de Vos presented a new idea to scout Koolmees. She wants the House of Representatives to first vote on major issues, and then select ministers to implement those proposals.

As far as she's concerned, votes can take place during the debate on the election results, and parties can draft their own proposals. The result should be a cabinet "based on fluctuating majorities."

After the elections, the formation of a new cabinet begins. A process full of discussions, negotiations, and political puzzles. We explain exactly how it works in just one minute: