The move came as a surprise at first glance: Pieter Omtzigt, formerly a Christian Democrat and now leader of the newly formed New Social Contract Party (NCS), withdrew from the exploratory talks for a right-wing government under Geert Wilders this week. The timing, in particular, raises questions: On Monday, the parliament-appointed moderator Ronald Plasterk is expected to inform the Second Chamber about the status of the exploratory talks. It was anticipated in The Hague that the moderator would cautiously draw a positive conclusion and announce the start of the actual coalition negotiations.