Dutch political parties reach preliminary agreement

The Netherlands moved closer to form a government after outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte reached a preliminary agreement with the Labor party (PvdA) on the main financial issues, Dutch media reported on Thursday. A coalition agreement between Rutte's Liberals party (VVD) and Diederik Samsom's Labor party is widely expected within the next week or so, media said. The financial agreements are being sent to the Central Bureau for economic policy analysis (CBP) for further calculations. VVD and PvdA respectively won 41 and 38 seats during the Dutch general elections in September, which is enough to form a majority together. The two party leaders have been engaged in coalition talks ever since. Their coalition would be welcomed for the European Union, as both parties are known for their pro-European positions.