The formation of the next Dutch government faces delays as coalition parties struggle to agree on cabinet posts ahead of the June 26 deadline. Despite nominating former intelligence chief Dick Schoof as prime minister, the four right-wing parties—PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB—remain divided on the cabinet’s size and composition.

The coalition aims for a smaller cabinet than Mark Rutte’s previous administration, which had 20 ministers and nine junior ministers. Lead negotiator Richard van Zwol’s goal of swearing in the ministers by June 20 seems unlikely, pushing talks closer to the June 26 deadline, just before the summer recess.

Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the NSC party, acknowledged the ongoing discussions, noting the unusual nature of this coalition formation. The primary contention lies in the distribution of key ministries. The PVV demands up to six departments, including a new ministry for asylum and the health ministry. VVD eyes the finance ministry and infrastructure, with Eelco Heinen and senior MPs Sophie Hermans and Bente Becker as potential candidates.

Foreign affairs is another hotly contested portfolio, with both VVD and NSC vying for control. NSC is also expected to secure the social affairs ministry to address cost of living issues. The farmers’ party BBB is set to lead the agriculture ministry, now expanded to include fisheries, with Mona Keijzer potentially taking economic affairs.

The coalition plans to reduce the cabinet size by trimming three or four posts, possibly eliminating the ministry for nature and nitrogen and one junior finance minister position. A new ministry for asylum and migration will be created.

Under an “extra-parliamentary” cabinet model, half the posts will go to non-political appointees, though some names suggested by Wilders, like Halbe Zijlstra and Fred Teeven, have political backgrounds. The vetting of ministers, a new public procedure, adds to the delays, with opposition party GroenLinks-PvdA pushing for Schoof to undergo questioning due to his low public profile.