Dutch parties agree on coalition after 225 days

Prime Minister Mark Rutte sworn in with his Cabinet including members of 4 parties

By Abdullah Asiran

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AA) - Dutch parties on Thursday agreed on a coaliton government after 225 days of talks, a record in the country's history.

The Netherlands -- ruled by coalition administrations since World War II -- last saw 208 days of political horse-trading in 1977.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte, leader of the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), was sworn in with his Cabinet of 16 ministers and eight secretaries of state at King Willem-Alexander's Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.

Rutte's liberal VVD formed a coalition with the centrist Democrats 66 (D66) and the conservative Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Christian Union (CU).

Dutch voters went to the polls on March 15, but no single party won enough support to form a government.

The largest group in parliament is the VVD with 33 seats, followed by the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) with 20.

Coalition parthers the D66 and the CDA have 19 MPs in parliament apiece, while the CU has five.

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