Take a step to the left (Pars Plus!) then a step to the right (Shake hands with the devil!), stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!
At least that's what all the newspapers are calling for with the upcoming discussions between the liberal VVD, Geert Wilders' PVV, and the CDA. With the disintegration of talks between the possible Purple party coalition (this name comes from mixing the red and blue of the left PvdA and right VVD wing parties, which makes purple. The plus (+) comes from the little extra parties thrown in, GroenLinks and D66), the VVD has put together this new possible coalition in hopes of creating a ruling cabinet so they can start, you know, potentially running the country.
However, like the last match, the newspapers are skeptical of this new pairing since the parties have much ground to make up in order to reach a level playing ground. For example, the CDA is absolutely for the freedom of religion and is positiviely against a head scarf tax as proposed by Geert Wilders' and his PVV party. But of course, this is just one example...
As it stands, Harry Potter (sorry!) Jan Peter Balkenende continues his role as the acting head of state as the rest of the country's steering group plays match maker. The Queen is supposedly becoming more and more frustrated as she continues to request different 'catalysts' to help push the process along. But she's not the only one getting a little frustrated.
It feels like we've been in political overdrive since March when we had the municipal elections, then the fall of the Dutch government, the national elections and now this ongoing speed dating trials between the various parties to see who can kiss and make up a cabinet that will hold for some time. I'd write 'hold a full term' but this hasn't happened in the last 4 governments so why ask for more?
I think many people, and myself included, are weary of a coalition with the wild Wilders' factor. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for an answer to the coalition question if it meant that we could return to something a little more purple, and a lot less ... bewildering.
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