The Dutch state debt agency held a successful sale of government debt this afternoon and bonds rallied.
The biggest Dutch opposition parties refused this afternoon to back austerity cuts of €14 to €16 billion.
The Dutch economy, traditionally one of Europe's strongest, was not in good shape, he told parliament, adding that he favoured waiting until September before holding elections.
Rutte, who remains acting premier , appealed to parliament for support in striking a deal on cutting the budget deficit to the EU's target at three percent of annual economic output.
The biggest Dutch opposition parties refused on Tuesday to back austerity cuts needed to meet EU budget targets after the government fell, deepening the crisis in a nation probably facing a long period of uncertainty until elections.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose minority government collapsed on Monday, must now turn to a clutch of tiny parties for help if he is to have any chance of forcing his plan for €14 to €16 billion in budget cuts through parliament.
Nevertheless, the state debt agency held a successful sale of government debt on Tuesday and bonds rallied.
Dutch debt is proportionately below the euro zone average at about 65% of GDP and its budget deficit is modest compared with those of many of its peers.
However, the fact that even one of the best-managed euro zone economies is struggling to meet EU targets underlines the gravity of the bloc's troubles, and investors are watching closely for any sign that the Dutch crisis is getting worse.
