A number of prominent former politicians from various parties have urged the Christian Democrats (CDA) and the conservative VVD not go ahead with the planned formation of a minority coalition government with parliamentary backing from Geert Wilders' anti-Islamic Freedom party.

"A cabinet supported by a party whose main goal is to marginalize and exclude a section of the populace will not succeed in bringing about the sorely-needed unity in Dutch society."

The warning was published in the left-of-centre daily de Volkskrant on Monday. The signatories include former deputy prime minister Jan Terlouw (pictured below), former health minister Hedy d'Ancona, former education minister Jos van Kemenade and eight others.

A recent poll shows the CDA suffering from its own internal divisions about the prospective coalition. One-third of those who voted for the Christian Democrats would no longer do so. The number of CDA voters who support the current coalition talks has dropped from 79 percent to 60 percent.

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