10 January 2022: fourth Rutte Cabinet sworn in
The fourth Rutte Cabinet, comprising VVD, D66, CDA and the Christian Union, was sworn in by the King at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague on Monday, 10 January. This was followed by the traditional inauguration photograph. On Tuesday, 18 and Wednesday, 19 January, the debate about the government’s policy statement will be held in the House of Representatives.
Photo: RVD
8 January 2022: formateur presents final report
On Saturday, 8 January, formateur Mark Rutte presented his final report to Vera Bergkamp, Speaker of the House of Representatives. This was preceded by the first meeting of the new Cabinet. After offering the final report to the House of Representatives, the formateur met the King in order to report on the formation. The swearing in of the new Cabinet is scheduled for Monday, 10 January.
16 December: Rutte appointed as formateur
During the debate on the final report from the informateurs and the coalition agreement on 16 December 2021, the House of Representatives appointed Mark Rutte to the position of formateur. On Friday, 17 December, Rutte will meet the leaders of the parliamentary groups that were part of the agreement and will give a press briefing on his activities.
15 December: informateurs present final report and coalition agreement
In the Central Passageway, Speaker Vera Bergkamp has received the final report and coalition agreement from informateurs Johan Remkes and Wouter Koolmees. “We can now make a real start in the return to normal parliamentary relations,” said the Speaker. The plenary debate about the informateurs’ final report will be held on Thursday, 16 December starting at 10.15am.
13 December: informateurs send letter to House of Representatives about planned date for presentation of final report
Informateurs Johan Remkes and Wouter Koolmees are sending a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in which they write that they acknowledge the widely held desire for more information about the Cabinet formation process. They will provide further information in the course of this week. The informateurs are planning to present the final report and the coalition agreement on the afternoon of Wednesday, 15 December.
6 December: informateurs send letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives
Informateurs Johan Remkes and Wouter Koolmees are sending a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on progress made during discussions on the formation. In it, they report on progress in negotiations. The four parliamentary groups have set themselves the goal of presenting a coalition agreement before the start of the upcoming recess, to enable it to be debated in the House of Representatives.
25 November: informateurs send letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives
Informateurs Johan Remkes and Wouter Koolmees are sending a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on progress made during formation discussions at De Zwaluwenberg country estate. In it, they write that the negotiations are at an advanced stage.
10 November: Speaker discusses progress with informateurs
On 10 November, Vera Bergkamp, Speaker of the House of Representatives, spoke to informateurs Johan Remkes and Wouter Koolmees. She sent a letter about the discussion to MPs on 10 November. The discussion with informateurs was held in response to a letter sent by the Speaker to the informateurs on 1 November. In this letter, she asked the informateurs to inform the House of a timeline as swiftly as possible. On 11 November, the informateurs sent a letter to the Speaker in which they referred to the discussion of 10 November.
5 October: Speaker of the House receives new Informateurs
On Tuesday October 5, mw. Vera Bergkamp receveid the newly appointed informateurs, Wouter Koolmees (D66) and Johan Remkes (VVD). They were appointed by the House during the debate on mr. Remkes' final report, on Tuesday October 5. The Speaker handed them the official commission.
30 September: Informateur Remkes brings out his final report
Informateur Johan Remkes presented his final report to Speaker of the House Vera Bergkamp on 30 September 2021. It was also sent to the MPs. Remkes subsequently held a press conference in the House of Representatives’ Enquêtezaal.
8 September: Informateur Remkes received in the House
On 8 September, informateur Remkes was received in the House and given his commission by Speaker Vera Bergkamp.
Speaker Vera Bergkamp received the new informateur Johan Remkes and handed him his commission. Remkes was appointed informateur during the debate on the formation on Tuesday, 7 September. The House passed a motion to this end by VVD leader Mark Rutte. The previous informateur, Mariëtte Hamer, presented her final report to Speaker Bergkamp on 2 September.
2 September: Informateur Hamer brings out her final report and holds press conference
On Thursday, 2 September, Speaker Vera Bergkamp accepted the final report of informateur Mariëtte Hamer. This took place in the Stadholder’s Room in the parliamentary complex at the Binnenhof. Informateur Hamer presented her final report to the press in the Former Plenary Hall of the parliamentary complex at the Binnenhof.
24 June: Visit to the King
Speaker Vera Bergkamp was received by the King at Huis ten Bosch Palace. She informed the King of the outcome of the parliamentary debate of 23 June regarding the informateur’s final report and the adopted motion to reappoint Mariëtte Hamer as informateur.
23 June: Informateur Hamer given new commission
On 23 June, Speaker Vera Bergkamp handed a new fact-finding commission to Mariëtte Hamer. This commission states that the informateur will ask the parliamentary leaders of VVD and D66 to write an outline document ‘to enable coalition negotiations aimed at forming a majority coalition’. The commission is the result of a motion by parliamentary leaders Rutte (VVD) and Kaag (D66), which the House adopted during the debate on Hamer’s final report.
22 June: Informateur Hamer’s final report
On 22 June, Speaker Vera Bergkamp accepted the final report of informateur Mariëtte Hamer. The informateur then presented the report at a press conference. Read the informateur’s final report.
12 May: Mariëtte Hamer appointed new informateur
On 12 May, the House appointed Mariëtte Hamer as the new informateur during the debate on Herman Tjeenk Willink’s final report. The adopted motion by Sigrid Kaag (D66) and Mark Rutte (VVD) instructs the new informateur to investigate which parties are prepared to negotiate a coalition agreement with each other, based on the contours of the policy to be pursued as examined by the informateur. Hamer must submit her report by 6 June.
30 April: Informateur Tjeenk Willink’s final report
On 30 April, Speaker Vera Bergkamp accepted the final report of informateur Herman Tjeenk Willink. The report presents his findings regarding the information he gathered in just over three weeks. The House will debate the report on Wednesday 12 May.
12 April: Preliminary meeting with informateur Tjeenk Willink
On Monday 12 April, Speaker Vera Bergkamp held a preliminary meeting with informateur Herman Tjeenk Willink. It had already been agreed that Tjeenk Willink will report to the House of Representatives no later than three weeks after his appointment as informateur on 6 April.
6 April: Informateur appointed
On Tuesday morning, 6 April, the Speaker of the House received the parliamentary leaders to discuss the appointment of an informateur and the commission that could be given to this person. A debate was held later in the day, during which the House appointed Herman Tjeenk Willink as informateur. The former politician is to hold talks with the parliamentary groups to explore ways of forming a cabinet. He was given his commission by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Khadija Arib.
Formation process: March 18 - April 1 2021
1 April: Explorers present documents
At the request of the House of Representatives, the explorers presented a number of documents they have been working on. In the ensuing debate, the House decided to end the assignment of the explorers. Van Ark and Koolmees did not bring out a report to the House.
26 March: Letter from the Speaker to Annemarie Jorritsma and Kajsa Ollongren
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Khadija Arib has sent a letter to Annemarie Jorritsma and Kajsa Ollongren, the previously appointed explorers. Read the letter here.
25 March: New explorers appointed
Tamara van Ark (VVD) and Wouter Koolmees (D66) are to investigate the possibilities for a coalition. They were give this assignment by Speaker of the House of Representatives Khadija Arib. It had become clear earlier that day that the previously appointed explorers, Annemarie Jorritsma (VVD) and Kajsa Ollongren (D66), were to end their work.
18 March: First steps in the formation
The explorers, Annemarie Jorritsma and Kajsa Ollongren, will report to the House on their discussions with the various parliamentary groups about possible coalitions no later than 30 March. They agreed this with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Khadija Arib. The two explorers were appointed by the provisionally elected parliamentary leaders on 18 March, the day after the elections. Annemarie Jorritsma is the parliamentary leader of the VVD in the Senate. Kajsa Ollongren is the outgoing deputy prime minister and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations for D66.