They also use proportional representation for elections to parliament, and have a multiparty system that makes it improbable for one party to win an outright majority.
The formateur is traditionally appointed by the head of state but in the Netherlands that became the right of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the early 21st century.
The post of informateur became too prestigious to risk failure, so new terms for essentially the same task were introduced, such as "royal mediator" and "explorer" after the 2007 Belgian government formation 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.
Ever since the Netherlands adopted proportional representation in 1918, no party has even come close to winning an outright majority in the House of Representatives.
The informateur, who researches the possible coalition options before a new cabinet is formed, is often a veteran politician, member of the Senate or Council of State.