Government formation is the process in a parliamentary system of selecting a prime minister and cabinet members.
For example, following the 2013 German federal election, Germany engaged in 85 days of government formation negotiations, the longest in the nation's post-war history.
[2] During the formation process, the outgoing ministers typically remains in office as a caretaker government.
[3] If the cabinet formation process is lengthy, this can result in a substantial extension of their term; Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did not run for re-election in the 2023 Dutch general election, but remained in office for 7 months during the cabinet formation.
[4][5] On occasion, this has led to a situation where no party is able to form a government but the Parliament does not vote to return to the polls.