Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has named Tjeenk Willink as the new ‘informateur’, the mediator who oversees the initial part of the coalition-forming process.

There have now been two failed attempts at forming a new Dutch coalition. Mr Willink, vice president of the Council of State, will be the sixth person to try to facilitate the formation of a coalition government.

He has been asked to conduct a very short round of consultations with parliamentary political leaders and report back to the queen on the situation and what steps should be taken.

The move follows the confusion that arose on Tuesday. Just before a parliamentary debate on Friday's collapse of the coalition talks between the conservative VVD, the Christian Democrats (CDA) and the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV), VVD leader Mark Rutte announced that the talks could resume.

The reason for the change of plan was because, following Monday's resignation of Christian Democrat MP Ab Klink, Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders decided he did have faith in his negotiation partners.

A letter from Mr Klink a week before had led to crisis in the Christian Democrats. The CDA's parliamentary party spent two days deliberating whether or not to continue coalition talks. By the time they had ironed out their differences, Mr Wilders was no longer willing to continue the talks and pulled out. At first, Mr Wilders said Mr Klink's resignation made no difference, but changed his mind after sleeping on the matter. 

MPs were shocked and angry at the ensuing confusion, saying that, among other things, the queen had been misinformed.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide