AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Prospects of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte forming a new government waned on Saturday as a coalition partner seen as vital for securing a majority ruled out joining a new administration led by him.
“We don’t want to return to ‘business as usual’. We cannot be part of a fourth Rutte government”, ChristenUnie leader Gert Jan Segers said in an interview with newspaper Nederlands Dagblad.
ChristenUnie has been one of four parties in the government led by Rutte’s conservative VVD party since 2017.
Rutte narrowly survived a no confidence vote on Friday after parliament passed a motion disapproving of his behaviour during government formation talks, accusing him of not having spoken the truth about suggestions he made over the possible future of a critical lawmaker from another party.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by John Stonestreet)
