The leader of the New Social Contract, Peter Umtsigt, does not yet want to say which parties he might want to form a government with. In the Discussing the college round elections The leaders of the VVD, GroenLinks/PvdA and BBB were also invited, and Omtzigt did not want to express a preference. “I am close to all three, but I prefer not to abandon the preferred coalition.”

The new NSC party is ranked high in the polls, and one of the interviewers in the room at Vrije Universiteit wanted to know what kind of government there would be if Umzigt could capitalize on those polls in the House of Representatives elections on November 22. The student asked, “Will the government that includes the National Security Council have the signature of a progressive leftist or a rightist?”

“I will enter into a coalition with the parties through which I can best realize our ideas,” said Umtsigt, who insisted it had to be about content. “Not about dolls.” He is scheduled to present his party’s electoral program next Tuesday.

After some insistence, Umtsigt said he was more closely aligned with Timmermans on the issue of Social Security and with the Liberal Democrats on immigration.

VVD leader Yeselgöz also did not give a clear answer about her preferred coalition. “I particularly don’t want to make water concessions,” she said. She has previously indicated that she will no longer rule out forming a coalition with the Freedom Party, something her predecessor Rutte did for years.

BBB leader Van der Plas said he was becoming a bit desperate for answers. “If there’s too much bullshit, I don’t feel it anymore.” Then briefly point out: “I want to be with Peter.” Timmermans reiterated his position that his party mainly wants the VVD to enter the opposition. He added: “After so many years of rule, it is good to take a different path and sit on the bench for a while.”

At the beginning of the debate, a question was asked about the party leaders’ views on the war between Israel and Hamas:

The students also asked questions about, among other things, nuclear power, the student housing shortage and the high interest rates for students from the loan system. GroenLinks/PvdA wants to freeze interest in nuclear power generation and is against nuclear power. “It’s not necessary, it’s not possible, it’s unaffordable,” says Timmermans, who also thinks the Netherlands is too small for him. The other three parties do not agree to this at all.