THE HAGUE, 24/06/10 - Labour (PvdA) leader Job Cohen surprised friend and foe yesterday by proposing a five-party cabinet. Reactions were overwhelmingly negative.

The leaders of the conservatives (VVD), PvdA and the Christian democrats (CDA) were invited by Uri Rosenthal yesterday to come and discuss the feasibility of a cabinet of their three parties. For Cohen, however, this is not an option. He urged a coalition of VVD, PvdA, CDA, centre-left D66 and the leftwing Greens (GroenLinks).

Since the general elections on 9 June, three possible government combinations have already been shot down. These are also the only three options that commentators considered realistic on the evening of the election results.

Rosenthal, who as 'informateur' chairs the coalition negotiations, began with attempts to form a coalition of VVD, CDA and Party for Freedom (PVV). This failed because the CDA was not prepared to talk with PVV.

Next, 'Purple Plus' - a coalition of VVD, PvdA, D66 and GroenLinks - was 'sniffed at.' This attempt was halted within 24 hours on Tuesday because VVD leider Mark Rutte did not want it.

Yesterday, VVD-PvdA-CDA was on the agenda for investigation. But it was already known beforehand that this attempt would be stranded because this 'broad centrist cabinet' ran up against resistance from Cohen.

Cohen said yesterday after his meeting with Rosenthal that he wanted a cabinet of VVD, PvdA, CDA, D66 and GroenLinks explored. According to the PvdA leader, this cabinet would provide the balance that is necessary for making decisions on necessary reforms and investments.

A cabinet of VVD, PvdA and CDA would according to Cohen be in "imbalance." If D66 were added, the cabinet would in his eyes still be "too rightwing." The inclusion of GroenLinks would however provide balance, according to Cohen.

Most media commentators were scathing. The five-party coalition immediately attracted epithets like "broad plus," "super-broad-middle," "rainbow coalition" and "national cabinet." Only the PVV and Socialist Party (SP) would remain in the opposition, along with the Christian mini-parties (ChristenUnie and SGP) and Party for Animals (PvdD).

Nonetheless, Cohen's remarkable suggestion could offer an opening. If the five parties came together and GroenLinks dropped out after talking for a while, this would leave VVD-PvdA-CDA-D66. This is a coalition which is discussible for Rutte.

Rutte had a preference for VVD-PVV-CDA. When that failed, he put in a plea for VVD-PvdA-CDA. But he already said then that D66 could possibly be added if PvdA wanted this.

A cabinet of VVD, PvdA, CDA, D66 and GroenLinks would have a very big majority of 102 seats in the 150-seat Lower House. Neither D66 nor GroenLinks are necessary for a majority. But that would make them rather powerless.

GroenLinks considers Cohen's proposal "untimely." First, "normal" cabinets should be looked at, said the spokesman for GroenLinks leader Femke Halsema. "As long as right-wing parties have not been spoken with and Purple Plus only sniffed at, we consider it untimely to start talking about a national cabinet already."

"As long as normal majority cabinets are still possible that have not been explored properly, this is really not on the agenda," D66 D66 leader Alexander Pechtold also considered. Like Halsema, he is and remains an ardent supporter of Purple Plus. Cohen's five-party variant would be an "embarrassment cabinet," the D66 leader declared.

Rutte declined to comment on the five-party cabinet variant yesterday after his meeting with Rosenthal. But he did say that he is "open to modalities" around a coalition of VVD, PvdA and CDA.

PVV leader Geert Wilders said Cohen's idea would lead to a compromise cabinet that would be "more unstable than a car with two flat tyres." "The PVV must be back at the (negotiating) table!"

CDA parliamentary leader Maxime Verhagen may be the key player. He is holding off everything for now.