The new Dutch government was formally sworn in on Tuesday (2 July). Despite promises by outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte’s that the incoming coalition would continue the same line as far as the EU was concerned, the look of the new cabinet suggests differently.
Ahead of last week's EU summit, Rutte and Dutch officials promised that the new government, led by non-affiliated former civil servant Dick Schoof, would have similar positions to the outgoing government on foreign policy and EU files, despite far-right firebrand Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) being the largest coalition partner.
However, even the date of the swearing-in itself indicated a changing of the wind. According to Dutch media reports, the handover was originally planned for Monday 1 July, coinciding with Ketikoti, the holiday marking the end of slavery in the Netherlands.
To prevent the bad optics of far-right ministers assuming office on the same day, the outgoing government, the Amsterdam mayor and even the Dutch king himself intervened to change the date, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported.
Moreover, the composition of Schoof’s cabinet promises a hard break with EU policies of the past. Perhaps most controversially, Wilders nominated far-right hardliner Marjolein Faber as asylum minister, whose assignments will include the near-impossible task of negotiating an opt-out of the recently concluded EU migration pact.
The nomination of Faber, who previously declared her support for the racist 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory, threatened to throw the government into a crisis even before even assuming office. By retracting her statements, Faber ended up securing her appointment.
But she is the latest in a string of controversial nominations by Wilders. His previous candidate for asylum minister and deputy prime minister Gidi Markuszower was marked as a potential security threat by the Dutch intelligence services.
Before that, Ronald Plasterk, Wilder’s first candidate for prime minister, and Gom van Strien, PVV senator and proposed ‘coalition scout’, both withdrew following corruption allegations.
Beyond the specific issues with PVV appointees, Elizabeth Kuiper, associate director at the European Policy Center (EPC), expressed more general concern about the new cabinet.
“It’s a team that lacks experience in all sorts of fields,” she told the EUobserver, adding that this was particularly pressing for Schoof due to his lack of political affiliation. “He will have limited contacts with European parties,” she said — noting the importance of the network facilitated by political families in Brussels.
Another new minister likely to face an uphill battle in Brussels will be Femke Wiersma, incoming minister for agriculture. Member of the populist Farmer’s Citizen’s Movement (BBB), Wiersma will have to fight for the litany of exemptions demanded by the coalition agreement on EU rules on nitrogen, fertiliser and nature restoration, exemptions the Dutch are very unlikely to get.
Though few will be surprised that the liberal VVD appointed fiscal hawk Eelco Heinen to lead the finance ministry, Kuiper argued that on EU budget discussions too, a change of tack could be observed.
“There’s continuity in the sense that the Netherlands has a 'frugal' reputation, but always from a constructive spirit,” she said. “The current coalition agreement is not constructive.”
Moreover, this radicalised Dutch parsimony could touch upon the EU’s policies on economic security and competitiveness as well, Kuiper argued. Noting the importance of a company like Dutch chip-maker ASML for the global race for digital innovation, she worried about decreased investment. “If you invest less in research and development, won’t you further contribute to Europe lagging behind?”
The one policy area where continuity does seem likely is defence, with incoming minister Ruben Brekelmans and state secretary Gijs Tuinman vocal on continued support for Ukraine. “It’s important that the Netherlands will continue to play a role as catalyst [on support for Ukraine]” Brekelmans said during the hearing preceding his appointment.
However, even on security policy, some eyebrows have been raised, with several cabinet-members having close ties to Hungary - where prime minister Viktor Orbán has been a key Putin ally inside the EU.
Minister of economic affairs Dirk Beljaarts has a Hungarian mother, and has been honorary consul for Hungary for nine years. Beljaarts renounced his Hungarian passport to become minister. State secretary for digitalisation Zsolt Szabó, is a child of Hungarian refugees, has been active promoting Hungarian Dutch business networks. Both were nominated by Wilders, who has a Hungarian wife and is widely considered to be a friend and ally of Orbán.
Piet Ruig is a Brussels-based journalist who previously worked for the Dutch public broadcaster VPRO.
Piet Ruig is a Brussels-based journalist who previously worked for the Dutch public broadcaster VPRO.