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| Hard campaign against beer halls |
1/13/2007 |
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12 January 2007
AMSTERDAM — Labour PvdA leader Wouter Bos is expected to be appointed finance minister and deputy prime minister in the new coalition cabinet despite the fact he has not yet made a decision.
But the chance that ChristenUnie leader André Rouvoet will also be appointed to the cabinet is smaller. He is under great pressure from his own party to remain in the Parliament, a source said on Thursday.
Bos said in the election campaign that he would not serve as deputy prime minister under Christian Democrat CDA leader Jan Peter Balkenende. But he started refusing to answer such questions just days after the November election.
PvdA members now expect that the CDA will urge Bos to accept the deputy''s post. This would give a signal that the PvdA leader is determined to make a success of the new coalition.
Bos'' predecessor Wim Kok was also finance minister and deputy prime minister in 1989 in the third cabinet of Ruud Lubbers. That was the last time that the CDA and PvdA were involved in a cabinet.
Kok — who was later prime minister in two cabinets from 1994-2002 — built a strong reputation as finance minister.
But sources have said the coalition talks have not yet broached the subject of ministerial posts. This will only occur towards the end of talks, expected at the end of February at the earliest.
Relatively inconsequential policy matters such as norms and values, abortion and euthanasia were reportedly discussed on Thursday. Party leaders are expected to discuss the financial plans of the new government on Friday.
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