Dutch Queen Beatrix has been consulting with the leaders of every party with seats in parliament in the wake of Wednesday's election. Her role in piecing together a new coalition government makes her the most powerful monarch in Europe.

It's 40 minutes past nine on a grey morning in The Hague. Liberal VVD leader Mark Rutte steps out of his chauffeur-driven car, waves to gathered reporters, and walks up the steps into Noordeinde Palace. Mr Rutte's party won Wednesday's election, and he is on his way to tell Queen Beatrix how he wants to proceed with the creation of a coalition government.

Cake
When he emerged from the meeting, journalists asked him whether the Queen had provided cake. "No," he said, "not cake, but the usual tray of biscuits, a rich assortment."

"The queen is always very friendly and exceptionally professional. She has been doing this for 30 years. I am impressed by our political system for the very reason that, after all the hectic campaigning, it's very good to have someone who is above the fray leading these talks. She provides the calm that's required to keep the momentum going in this process."

Centre of power
Mark Rutte may have won the election, but this is the Queen's moment to shine. In the days after a parliamentary election, the Dutch head of state is at the centre of power, consulting with the party leaders about how the election results should be interpreted. She is the one to set the formation of a coalition in motion.

Hers is not a ceremonial function. She is the fulcrum of the wheeling and dealing essential to bringing various parties together. Even after a coalition is in place, she continues to play an important role. The Dutch monarch is formally a member of the cabinet, co-signs all legislation, and meets once a week with the prime minister throughout the year.

But her power is greatest right now. The period when a coalition is being puzzled together is the only time when the prime minister and the cabinet are not responsible for her decisions. She alone signs the document appointing the 'informateur' and 'formateur', the two figures who drive the coalition building process.

Tradition
The monarch's role in coalition building is not stipulated in the constitution. Only the procedures dealing with the fall of a cabinet and the swearing in of the next one are determined by law. The procedures surrounding cabinet formation have evolved over time, but they are a widely respected tradition and not law.

There have been numerous attempts to change this. Just a few weeks ago, parliament passed a new non-binding rule stating that this year, the lower house of parliament should oversee the process.

Boris van der Ham, an MP from the reform-minded Democrat 66 party, was one of the new rule's initiators. He says coalition building should be more transparent and more democratic. Therefore he wants the process entrusted to parliament, which is accountable to the people, rather than to an unelected monarch.

Urgency
Critics of the rule say it will slow the process down. Due to the economic crisis, there is a particular sense of urgency to get a new coalition into place. What's more, the election results this time around are deeply complicated, with no clear, stable combination of parties in sight.

Jan Vis, Professor of Constitutional Law, said recently in de Volkskrant that indeed, the new rule would allow parliament to play a role. "But I don't expect that to happen, given the need to get a new cabinet in place quickly."

That's where Mr van der Ham disagrees. He says having parliament oversee the coalition-building process would accelerate matters:

"Imagine, the speaker of the lower house of parliament could have asked the largest party, the VVD, what they wanted, an 'informateur' could have started work yesterday evening. We could have saved a few days."

Noordeinde Palace
There was an earlier attempt to let parliament oversee the forming of a coalition, in 1971. But it failed, and party leaders decided not to try it again this time.

So, as usual, the leaders have been paying a visit to the Queen. After his meeting at the royal palace, the victorious Mr Rutte briefly spoke to the press and then folded his long frame back into the rear seat of his car. He may be the next prime minister of the Netherlands. But the road to the country's highest political office still passes through Noordeinde Palace.