Dutch Edge Closer to New Coalition as Zalm Named to Lead Talks
- Four-party government would have slimmest possible majority
- Ex-finance minister, ABN Amro chairman replaces Tjeenk Willink
Gerrit Zalm, chairman of ABN Amro Group NV, holds a glass of orange juice after opening trading at Amsterdam Stock Exchange on Nov. 20, 2015.
Photographer: Jasper Juinen/BloombergThe Netherlands took a step closer to a new coalition government after more than three months of talks as lawmakers named former Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm to oversee a round of formal discussions.
Zalm, also a former chief executive officer of ABN Amro Group NV, will lead negotiations between Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals, the Christian Democrats, the progressive centrist D66 party and the smaller Christian Union. The four parties together have the smallest possible majority in the Dutch lower house of parliament in The Hague with 76 out of the 150 seats. Zalm is the third politician since the inconclusive March 15 election to take on the task of overseeing the coalition talks.