The Christian Democrat parliamentary faction (CDA) is continuing talks today about the internal crisis sparked by the coalition negotiations. The talks were broken off on Tuesday evening after seven hours.

The Christian Democrats are deeply divided about the prospect of taking part in a coalition government supported by Geert Wilders' anti-Islamic Freedom Party.

Meanwhile, the actual negotiations about forming a minority coalition together with the conservative VVD and with parliamentary support from the Freedom Party have been halted.

Following criticism from senior party figures past and present, even Maxime Verhagen's fellow negotiator Ab Klink is now in favour of abandoning the coalition talks.

Many CDA members reject Geert Wilders' view that Islam is a political ideology rather than a religion. They also oppose his demand for a ban on Islamic schools. The party is committed to freedom of education and the right in Dutch law to found schools on religious principles.