Scouts, informateurs and formateurs facilitate specific phases in a Dutch cabinet formation. Since 2012, the scout explores the possibilities for a coalition government in the scouting phase, which can later be done again by an informateur. Since 1951, the main responsibility of an informateur is facilitating the negotiations between political parties in the information phase. The formateur was until 1951 responsible for the entire formation, but its role has been limited since 1982 to finding the ministers and state secretaries of the cabinet in the formation phase.[2] The roles are often filled by members of the largest party in the House of Representatives.[3][4]

Thumb
Herman Tjeenk Willink receives his assignment as informateur from Speaker of the House Vera Bergkamp during the 2021–2022 cabinet formation. He was also informateur during the 1994 (twice), 1999, 2010 and 2017 cabinet formation. As administrative secretary, he was also involved in the 1972–1973 and 1977 cabinet formation.[1]

Historical development

The roles have changed throughout the years. The role of formateur has existed since the first cabinet formation in 1848.[5] Formateurs were in general responsible for the entire formation, simply being instructed to form a cabinet. The (final) formateur is often the intended prime minister.[lower-alpha 1] However, some formateurs were instructed to do preliminary work (exploring coalition options and/or facilitating negotiations).[lower-alpha 2][5]

In 1951, a separate role was created for the preliminary work: the informateur. Since that year, there has not been a formation without an informateur, although this has been attempted five times. Since 1989, the initial informateur is tasked with exploring the possibilities for a coalition.[6] The first exploratory round became the responsibility of a separate role, the scout, in 2012. Since that year, the monarch no longer has a role in the formation and thus no longer does the consultations at the start of the formation. The (in)formateurs and scouts have since then been appointed by the House of Representatives.

List

More information Name, Starting date ...
List of Dutch formateurs, informateurs and scouts
Name Starting date[lower-alpha 3] Days Role Political affiliation Formation Ref.
Gerrit Schimmelpenninck 23 March 1848 1 Formateur liberal 1848 [7]
Leonardus Antonius Lightenvelt 20 September 1849 37 Formateur conservative 1849 [8]
Dirk Donker Curtius liberal
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke 27 October 1849 3 Formateur liberal
Jan Nedermeijer van Rosenthal liberal
Floris Adriaan van Hall 16 April 1853 3 Formateur liberal 1853 [9]
Justinus van der Brugghen 1 June 1856 30 Formateur anti-revolutionary 1856 [10]
Jan Jacob Rochussen 3 March 1858 16 Formateur conservative 1858 [11]
Floris Adriaan van Hall 17 February 1860 4 Formateur liberal 1860 [12]
Schelto van Heemstra 21 February 1860 3 Formateur conservative
Jan Jacob Rochussen 16 February 1861 24 Formateur conservative 1861 [13]
Schelto van Heemstra conservative
Jules van Zuylen van Nijevelt 12 March 1861 3 Formateur anti-revolutionary
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke 18 January 1862 13 Formateur liberal 1861–1862 [14]
Isaäc Dignus Fransen van de Putte 29 January 1866 7 Formateur liberal Jan–Feb 1866 [15]
Jules van Zuylen van Nijevelt 24 May 1866 7 Formateur anti-revolutionary May–Jun 1866 [16]
Æneas Mackay Sr. 17 April 1868 2 Formateur anti-revolutionary 1868 [17]
Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg 29 April 1868 4 Formateur conservative
Gerlach Cornelis Joannes van Reenen 4 May 1868 5 Formateur conservative
Æneas Mackay Sr. 17 May 1868 5 Formateur anti-revolutionary
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke 23 May 1868 11 Formateur liberal
Cornelis Fock 24 November 1870 5 Formateur liberal 1870–1871 [18]
Lodewijk Gerard Brocx liberal
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke 1 December 1870 33 Formateur liberal
Gerrit de Vries 25 June 1872 10 Formateur liberal 1872 [19]
Jan Heemskerk 14 July 1874 43 Formateur liberal 1874 [20]
Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello 16 October 1877 17 Formateur liberal 1877 [21]
Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg 24 July 1879 9 Formateur conservative 1879 [22]
Eppo Cremers 12 July 1879 11 Formateur conservative
Isaäc Dignus Fransen van de Putte liberal
Gerrit de Vries liberal
Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg 8 August 1882 5 Formateur conservative 1882 [22]
Johannes Tak van Poortvliet 31 July 1882 9 Formateur liberal
Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg 3 July 1882 5 Formateur conservative
Jan Heemskerk 4 March 1883 9 Formateur liberal 1883 [23]
Otto van Rees 12 March 1883 7 Formateur liberal
Johan George Gleichman 19 March 1883 5 Formateur liberal
Jan Heemskerk 29 March 1883 23 Formateur liberal
Æneas Mackay Jr. 30 March 1888 20 Formateur ARP 1888 [24][25]
Gijsbert van Tienhoven 26 July 1891 22 Formateur liberal 1891 [26]
Joan Röell 4 May 1894 4 Formateur liberal 1894 [27]
Nicolaas Pierson 13 July 1897 10 Formateur LU 1897 [28]
Abraham Kuyper 11 July 1901 15 Formateur ARP 1901 [29][30]
Hendrik Goeman Borgesius 14 July 1905 34 Formateur LU 1905 [31]
Jan Elias Nicolaas Schimmelpenninck van der Oye 27 February 1907 3 Formateur CHP 1907 [31]
Pieter Cort van der Linden 17 March 1907 5 Formateur liberal
Theo Heemskerk 16 January 1908 27 Formateur ARP 1907–1908 [32][33]
Dirk Bos 11 July 1913 15 Formateur VDB 1913 [34]
Pieter Cort van der Linden 2 August 1913 27 Formateur liberal
Willem Hubert Nolens 13 July 1918 38 Formateur RKSP 1918 [35][36]
Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck 29 August 1918 9 Formateur RKSP
Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck 22 June 1921 35 Formateur RKSP 1921 [35][37]
Dirk Jan de Geer 19 July 1922 4 Formateur CHU 1922 [38][39]
Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck 22 July 1922 49 Formateur RKSP
Dionysius Koolen 15 November 1923 10 Formateur RKSP 1923-1924 [38][40]
Frans Beelaerts van Blokland 24 November 1923 12 Formateur CHU
Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek 4 January 1924 3 Formateur liberal
Hendrik Colijn 15 July 1925 18 Formateur ARP 1925 [41][42]
Henri Marchant 24 November 1925 8 Formateur VDB 1925-1926 [43][44]
Johannes Theodoor de Visser 8 December 1925 4 Formateur CHU
Johannes Theodoor de Visser 12 December 1925 42 Formateur CHU
Joseph Limburg 23 January 1926 35 Formateur VDB[lower-alpha 4]
Dirk Jan de Geer 1 March 1926 4 Formateur CHU
Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck 12 July 1929 18 Formateur RKSP 1929 [46][47]
3 August 1929 7 Formateur
Hendrik Colijn 2 May 1933 15 Formateur ARP 1933 [48][49]
16 May 1933 11 Formateur
Piet Aalberse 26 July 1935 2 Formateur RKSP 1935 [50][51]
Hendrik Colijn 29 July 1935 2 Formateur ARP
Hendrik Colijn 30 May 1937 25 Formateur ARP 1937 [52][53]
Hendrik Colijn 30 June 1939 10 Formateur ARP Jun–Jul 1939 [54][55]
Dionysius Koolen 9 July 1939 6 Formateur RKSP
Hendrik Colijn 14 July 1939 12 Formateur ARP
Dirk Jan de Geer 4 August 1939 6 Formateur CHU Aug 1939 [56]
Pieter Gerbrandy 28 August 1940 3 Formateur ARP 1940 [57]
Pieter Gerbrandy 1 July 1941 26 Formateur ARP 1941 [57]
Pieter Gerbrandy 8 February 1945 15 Formateur ARP Feb 1945 [58]
Willem Drees 28 May 1945 27 Formateur SDAP May–Jun 1945 [59][60]
Willem Schermerhorn VDB
Louis Beel 27 May 1946 36 Formateur KVP 1946 [61][62]
Louis Beel 13 July 1948 10 Formateur[lower-alpha 5] KVP 1948 [63][64]
22 July 1948 8 Formateur
Josef van Schaik 30 July 1948 8 Formateur KVP
Dirk Stikker 28 January 1951 5 Informateur VVD 1951 [65][66]
Willem Drees 1 February 1951 16 Formateur PvdA
Josef van Schaik KVP
Max Steenberghe 18 February 1951 7 Formateur KVP
Carl Romme 13 March 1951 2 Formateur KVP
27 February 1951 15 Informateur
Willem Drees 27 June 1952 26 Formateur PvdA 1952 [67][68]
Louis Beel 23 July 1952 13 Informateur KVP
Leendert Antonie Donker 5 August 1952 17 Formateur PvdA
Cornelis Staf 22 August 1952 5 Formateur CHU
Willem Drees 29 August 1952 4 Formateur PvdA
Jaap Burger 25 May 1955 9 Formateur PvdA 1955 [69][70]
Willem Drees 16 June 1956 38 Formateur PvdA 1956 [71][72]
Carl Romme 24 June 1956 9 Formateur KVP
Piet Lieftinck 16 August 1956 5 Informateur PvdA
7 August 1956 9 Informateur
Wilhelm Friedrich de Gaay Fortman 22 August 1956 25 Informateur ARP
Jaap Burger 20 September 1956 19 Informateur PvdA
Willem Drees 9 October 1956 3 Formateur PvdA
Louis Beel 12 December 1958 7 Informateur KVP 1958 [73][74]
19 December 1958 3 Formateur
Louis Beel 14 March 1959 13 Informateur KVP 1959 [75][76]
Jan de Quay 28 March 1959 30 Formateur KVP
Louis Beel 1 May 1959 13 Informateur KVP
Jan de Quay 14 May 1959 5 Formateur KVP
Wilhelm Friedrich de Gaay Fortman 27 December 1960 6 Informateur ARP 1960–1961 [77][78]
Carl Romme 20 May 1963 16 Informateur KVP 1963 [79][80]
Wim de Kort 6 June 1963 21 Formateur KVP
Louis Beel 28 June 1963 7 Informateur KVP
Jan de Quay 5 July 1963 11 Formateur KVP
Victor Marijnen 16 July 1963 8 Formateur KVP
Norbert Schmelzer 2 March 1965 11 Informateur KVP 1965 [81][82]
Jo Cals 15 March 1965 29 Formateur KVP
Norbert Schmelzer 18 October 1966 17 Informateur KVP 1966 [83][84]
Louis Beel 4 November 1966 12 Informateur KVP
Jelle Zijlstra 16 November 1966 6 Formateur ARP
Jelle Zijlstra 18 February 1967 15 Informateur ARP 1967 [85][86]
Louis Beel 6 March 1967 3 Informateur[lower-alpha 6] KVP
Barend Biesheuvel 9 March 1967 12 Formateur ARP
Piet de Jong 21 March 1967 14 Formateur KVP
Piet Steenkamp 15 May 1971 37 Informateur KVP 1971 [88][89]
Barend Biesheuvel 21 June 1971 15 Formateur ARP
Barend Biesheuvel 22 July 1972 18 Formateur ARP 1972 [90][91]
Marinus Ruppert 4 December 1972 58 Informateur ARP 1972–1973 [92][93]
Jaap Burger 1 February 1973 62 Formateur PvdA
Dries van Agt 10 April 1973 13 Informateur KVP
Wil Albeda ARP
Jaap Burger 23 April 1973 18 Formateur PvdA
Marinus Ruppert ARP
Joop den Uyl 1 June 1977 45 Formateur PvdA 1977 [94][95]
Wil Albeda 20 July 1977 7 Informateur CDA
Joop den Uyl 27 July 1977 30 Formateur PvdA
 
Gerard Veringa
 
26 August 1977 7 Informateur CDA
2 September 1977 35 Formateur
Joop den Uyl PvdA
Maarten Vrolijk 11 October 1977 15 Informateur PvdA
Koos Verdam CDA
Joop den Uyl 26 October 1977 10 Formateur PvdA
Wim van der Grinten 8 November 1977 29 Informateur CDA
Dries van Agt 8 December 1977 11 Formateur CDA
Ruud Lubbers 30 May 1981 66 Informateur CDA 1981 [96][97]
Jan de Koning CDA
 
Ed van Thijn
 
10 July 1981 25 Informateur PvdA
4 August 1981 16 Formateur
Sjeng Kremers CDA
Wilhelm Friedrich de Gaay Fortman 20 August 1981 13 Informateur CDA
Dries van Agt 2 September 1981 9 Formateur CDA
Cees de Galan 16 October 1981 19 Informateur PvdA
Victor Halberstadt PvdA
Piet Steenkamp 14 May 1982 12 Informateur CDA May–Jun 1982 [98][99]
Dries van Agt 25 May 1982 4 Formateur CDA
Jos van Kemenade 10 September 1982 21 Informateur PvdA Sep–Nov 1982 [100][101]
Willem Scholten 1 October 1982 29 Informateur CDA
Ruud Lubbers 30 October 1982 5 Formateur CDA
Jan de Koning 23 May 1986 50 Informateur CDA 1986 [102][103]
Ruud Lubbers 11 July 1986 3 Formateur CDA
Jan de Koning 8 September 1989 5 Informateur CDA 1989 [104][105]
Ruud Lubbers 13 September 1989 45 Informateur CDA
27 October 1989 9 Formateur
Herman Tjeenk Willink 6 May 1994 8 Informateur PvdA 1994 [106][107]
Jan Vis 14 May 1994 44 Informateur D66
Gijs van Aardenne VVD
Klaas de Vries PvdA
Herman Tjeenk Willink 27 June 1994 9 Informateur PvdA
Wim Kok 6 July 1994 23 Informateur PvdA
29 July 1994 22 Formateur
Klaas de Vries 8 May 1998 6 Informateur PvdA 1998 [108][109]
Gerrit Zalm 14 May 1998 67 Informateur VVD
Els Borst D66
 
Wim Kok
 
PvdA
20 July 1998 14 Formateur
Herman Tjeenk Willink 22 May 1999 18 Formateur PvdA 1999 [110][111]
Piet Hein Donner 17 May 2002 48 Informateur CDA 2002 [112][113]
Jan Peter Balkenende 4 July 2002 18 Formateur CDA
 
Piet Hein Donner
 
24 January 2003 11 Informateur CDA 2003 [114][115]
5 February 2003 66 Informateur
Frans Leijnse PvdA
Rein Jan Hoekstra 15 April 2003 35 Informateur CDA
Frits Korthals Altes VVD
Jan Peter Balkenende 20 May 2003 7 Formateur CDA
Ruud Lubbers 1 July 2006 4 Informateur CDA 2006 [116][117]
Jan Peter Balkenende 5 July 2006 3 Formateur CDA
Rein Jan Hoekstra 25 November 2006 25 Informateur CDA 2006–2007 [118][119]
Herman Wijffels 20 December 2006 51 Informateur CDA
Jan Peter Balkenende 9 February 2007 13 Formateur CDA
Uri Rosenthal 12 June 2010 14 Informateur VVD 2010 [120][121]
Herman Tjeenk Willink 26 June 2010 10 Informateur PvdA
Uri Rosenthal 5 July 2010 16 Informateur VVD
Jacques Wallage PvdA
Ruud Lubbers 21 July 2010 14 Informateur CDA
Ivo Opstelten 4 August 2010 32 Informateur VVD
Herman Tjeenk Willink 7 September 2010 7 Informateur PvdA
Ivo Opstelten 13 September 2010 25 Informateur VVD
Mark Rutte 7 October 2010 8 Formateur VVD
 
Henk Kamp
 
13 September 2012 6 Scout VVD 2012 [122][119]
20 September 2012 42 Informateur
Wouter Bos PvdA
Mark Rutte 31 October 2012 5 Formateur VVD
Edith Schippers 16 March 2017 11 Scout VVD 2017 [123][124]
28 March 2017 63 Informateur
Herman Tjeenk Willink 30 May 2017 29 Informateur PvdA
Gerrit Zalm 28 June 2017 105 Informateur VVD
Mark Rutte 12 October 2017 14 Formateur VVD
Annemarie Jorritsma 18 March 2021 8 Scout VVD 2021–2022 [125][126]
Kajsa Ollongren D66
Tamara van Ark 25 March 2021 8 Scout VVD
Wouter Koolmees D66
Herman Tjeenk Willink 6 April 2021 24 Informateur PvdA
Mariëtte Hamer 12 May 2021 113 Informateur PvdA
 
Johan Remkes
 
7 September 2021 23 Informateur VVD
5 October 2021 71 Informateur
Wouter Koolmees D66
Mark Rutte 16 December 2021 25 Formateur VVD
Gom van Strien 24 November 2023 4 Scout PVV 2023–2024 [127]
Ronald Plasterk 28 November 2023 14 Scout PvdA
13 December 2023 62 Informateur
Kim Putters 14 February 2024 30 Informateur PvdA
Elbert Dijkgraaf 20 March 2024 58 Informateur SGP
 
Richard van Zwol
 
CDA
22 May 2024 41 Formateur
Close

See also

Notes

  1. Exceptions include 1905, 1951 and 2023-2024.
  2. For formateurs, this not always reflects the day they have formally accepted the assignment, but instead the day they have asked the monarch to consider the assignment.
  3. His party did not participate in the negotiations. Some in his party criticised his appointment, which led hem to leave the part.[45]
  4. Sources from that time refer to him as formateur. However, Parlement.com describes him as informateur.
  5. Formally as advisor to the queen.[87]

Citations

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.