Formateur

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A formateur (French for "someone who forms, who constitutes") is a

but in the Netherlands that became the right of the Speaker of the Lower house ('president of the Second Chamber') in the early 21st century.

The formateur most often comes from the largest party in the future coalition (although an even larger party may remain in the

of the monarch, and remains one of the rare moments when a mostly ceremonial monarch may play a significant political role.

In game theory and political science, the term formateur party is used to describe the party that makes a proposal in a bargaining process, most often when modeling a government formation.

Informateur

The formateur's work may be preceded by one or more informateurs, also appointed by the same authority as the formateur. The informateur is not expected to finalize a coalition, but attempts to find enough points of agreement to identify a likely coalition, from which a formateur is then selected to conclude a political program and compose a cabinet, usually headed by himself. The informateur should be someone not otherwise considered for ministerial office, although some do obtain a

]

These positions are usually not described in any statute, but they tend to become part of political tradition. Informateurs have become customary in Belgium and the Netherlands since the 1950s.^[2]

Belgium

In

failed for months to produce a clear prospect for a majority, and "preformateur" (presumed to succeed himself as formateur and PM if successful) after the 2010 federal elections. The job can even be shared by two conjoint (in)formateurs, e.g. a Flemish and a Francophone one.

Netherlands

In the

. Thus, the formation process is at least as, if not more, important than the election itself.

The informateur, who researches the possible coalition options before a new

Once the informateur has found a potentially successful coalition, he goes back to the House, who appoints a formateur, who presides over the talks about the ministerial positions that are held between the parties that have already established a coalition agreement.[1]

Subnational government

In

(provincial).

References