Dutch gov't can take shape for up to six months with no change to Ukraine policy expected during this time - expert

Julia Soldatiuk-Westerveld, an expert with the Clingendael Institute of International Relations in the Netherlands, spoke on the issue in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague.

According to her, the process of forming a coalition government can last from four months to six months.

"There will be no changes in the next six months, as the government remains the same, because the formation of a coalition takes a long time. The process is quite long, sometimes it can last from four to six months. This process can last much longer than half a year, which, of course, is not desirable for the country. Four to six months is an acceptable term," Soldatiuk-Westerveld said.

According to the pundit, at this time there will be no changes in the issue of support for Ukraine.

"The formation of a coalition takes a long time. This means that there will be no changes in the next six months, since the Cabinet of Ministers remains the same, and with regard to Ukraine, all support packages that currently exist will be extended," the expert noted.

In her opinion, there are two options for the most likely coalition.

"These are the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy), formerly led by Rutte and now Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the PvdA (Labor Party) and GroenLinks (Green Left) led by Timmermans, and the NSC (New Social Contract) led by Omtzigt. This option is very favorable for Ukraine. This means that the policy and support for Ukraine will not change. There is another option: it’s the VVD, the NSC, and the Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders. His party is quite skeptical about supporting Ukraine," said the expert with the Clingendael Institute of Foreign Relations.

According to the expert, the Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders has a chance to join a coalition for the first time in a long period. So the statements of this political force became less critical and more moderate in order to be able to start negotiations with the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy).

“Prior to the full-scale invasion, this party maintained a positive attitude toward Russia. In 2018, several deputies from the PVV party visited the State Duma at the invitation of one of the politicians. How close these ties are now is unclear, as well as how the PVV will position itself in relation to Ukraine after the elections," she emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, early parliamentary elections are being held in the Netherlands today, November 22.