Despite criticism from party elders, the VVD and CDA in Brabant are pressing ahead with forming a coalition with the far-right Forum voor Democratie after the province’s government collapsed.

On Thursday evening the three parties, together with local interest party Lokaal Brabant, signed a document outlining the ‘principles for working together’ and are now starting detailed negotiations.

The aim is to present a provincial coalition agreement early next month.

FvD is the second largest party in Brabant, holding nine of the 55 assembly seats. National party leader Thierry Baudet has described the move as ‘a good step forward for Forum and a giant step for the Netherlands’.

The document states that the four parties will ‘extend a hand to everyone’ and are ‘open to society of respect’. Nevertheless, a number of senior figures within both the CDA and the VVD are unhappy at the prospect of working together with the nationalists.

1. Dat FVD naar het zich laat aanzien gaat meebesturen in Brabant komt niet onverwachts maar is van grote betekenis. Enorme opsteker voor Baudet. Strategische blunder van het @cdavandaag. Slecht voor NL. https://t.co/yBlfFR4sd8 — Haagse Insider 🕵🏻‍♂️ (@HaagseInsider) March 5, 2020

In particular, the CDA’s political fortunes took a major knock after they joined a coalition government which was propped up by Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration PVV in 2010.