Everything is unusual in this government, including the selection of ministers

For days, the party leaders of the Party for Freedom, the Freedom and Democracy Party, the National Security Council and the BBB have been busy dividing up ministerial positions. Behind closed doors and as secretly as possible: when they come in or out, they don't say anything. It seems to be taking an unusually long time. “But everything about this formation is unusual,” National Security Council leader Peter Omtzgut said when asked. “I'm not going to draw any conclusions from that.”

In Schoof's new government, these ministers, as well as the prime minister himself, will be the most important: they will only be allowed to vote in Friday's cabinet session. Ministers of State are only present if something happens in their area, and only by invitation.

The list of names for the four potential coalition parties has almost certainly been ready for some time. All four of them also have their preferred ministries, which are consistent with their identity: BBB wants to bring in Agriculture, PVV Asylum, VVD Finance, and NSC, which has “good governance” as an important theme, wants to bring in Home Affairs.

The new government, led by Dick Schoff, is supposed to be on stage just before the summer recess

But it's also certain: Geert Wilders, Dylan Yeselguz, Peter Omtzigt and Caroline van der Plas can only call their candidates after they know for sure which ministries their party will get, because not every name fits every topic.

The name heard the longest, since last summer, is that of Mona Keizer. She was introduced by the BBB as a candidate for prime minister, and is now a deputy candidate for Prime Minister Van der Plas. It is still unclear what ministry Kejzer will have, perhaps Economic Affairs or Social Affairs, although it could also be something completely different.

Called too early

As of November, immediately after the House of Representatives elections, Van der Plas himself mentioned the name of Alt Dijkhausen, former Chairman of the Board of Management of Wageningen University and Research (WUR). But perhaps the rule applies to him, which is that you should not trade your name early, because that actually reduces your chances. Van der Plas didn't want to say anything about this for a while.

In the VVD, Member of Parliament Ilko Heinen was appointed Minister of Finance. In the debate over the coalition agreement, almost the entire VVD looked to him when it came to the “new Finance Minister”. In the Freedom Party, it seems almost certain that Fleur Agima will become Minister of Health. She is responsible in the House of Representatives for health care on behalf of her party. Agema would also become deputy prime minister in Schoff's government. The party leaders agreed some time ago that they would remain in the House of Representatives as party leaders. Because Dick Schoof is nonpartisan, the four parties will now have their own deputy prime minister, according to participants.

It is rumored among VVD members that Okje de Vries, the outgoing Minister of State for Benefits, would like to return to the Cabinet, as does Mariel Bull, the Minister of Education. There will be a place in the cabinet for MP Sophie Hermans, co-negotiator with VVD leader Dylan Yeselgöz, and perhaps also for MP Bente Becker.

There are also VVD members who believe that MP Silvio Erkens is qualified to hold a climate-related position, as a state secretary or minister. Christoph van der Maat will be the most important candidate for the position of Minister of Defense; He currently holds the position of Minister of State in that Ministry. He himself only said on Monday evening in Op1 that he would like this position, but he does not know how he can combine it with his family. BBB member Gijs Twinman, who won the Military William Medal, could become Secretary of State for Defence.

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Candidates from abroad

In the National Security Council, MP Kasper Veldkamp is set to become Secretary of State, and his colleague Eddie van Heegum has been appointed Secretary of the Interior. Other names of potential ministers circulating in the Umtsigt party: Member of Parliament and former columnist Rosanne Hertzberger, and Member of Parliament Sandra Balmain. But the National Security Council in particular, which wants Schoof's government to be outside parliament as much as possible, will also have to field candidates from outside. This is how the name of Marianne van den Anker, former advisor on behalf of Lefbar Rotterdam, goes. She is now the Ombudsman in Rotterdam.

If your name is mentioned, it does not guarantee that you will actually enter the ministry. The names of people who do not end up in the Cabinet are heard in each formation. Sometimes unfounded names are circulated in the rumor mill, and sometimes names are dropped at the last minute. And that's not always fun. VVD member Frank de Greiff, who is often remembered as a minister in the first purple government (PvdA, VVD, D66) in 1994, but who resigned, said about this in the NRC magazine in 2007: “That period is stressful. People will call you They congratulate you, and there will be a discussion at work about whether you can leave or not.

During the formation of the fourth Balkenende government (CDA, PvdA and Christian Union) in 2007, PvdA leader Wouter Bos had a list of 130 names, supplemented by 36 names submitted by the party. One of these people who dropped out was Paul Debla, who was then a local councilor in Nijmegen. He was, as he told the NRC after the formation, “in the loop,” and even the “preliminary washing” had already been done: they had already looked for his opinion on the agreements in the coalition agreement. But at the crucial moment, Dibla could no longer hear anything. He texted “Am I out or something?” To Footer Boss. In the evening Boss called. It didn't happen. “I was cursed for a while,” DeBla said.

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Choose by loyalty

The fact that the Cabinet should be rendered extra-parliamentary is described in the final report submitted by whistleblower Kim Potters in March. It is a deep desire of Peter Umtzigt. The intention is for approximately half of the ministers nominated by parties to come “from outside”, and for “at most a few members of the political groups concerned” to become ministers or secretaries of state.

This makes recruitment and selection more difficult. Parties view their faction as a pool of talent, where excellence will naturally emerge. But with the Freedom Party, where there is no party democracy, and where the faction mainly listens to Geert Wilders, it becomes more difficult. Wilders must choose his candidate's ministers primarily on the basis of loyalty. It seems almost certain that there will be a place in the Cabinet for his close friend Barry Madlener, a former MEP and European Parliamentarian. Maybe as a Minister of State.

On Monday morning, the negotiators were just starting over, as MP Leon de Jong of the Freedom Party arrived with a banana and a carton of milk. He was heading towards the revolving door. One of the reporters shouted: “Mr. De Jong, social affairs?” Leon De Jong seemed to feel nervous about this, so he headed towards the stone stairs that came down.

But the chance of him joining the government is not considered very high: his partner is Fleur Agima, who is certain to become a minister. It is unusual for partners to enter the Cabinet together.

Administrative experience

The name that is often bandied about is that of PVV party member Sietse Fritsma on asylum policy. Fritsma is a former employee of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) and has spoken about asylum in the House of Representatives for a long time. VVD member Fred Tiffin, former Secretary of State for Security and Justice, is also said to be interested in the portfolio. But could this also be possible on behalf of the Freedom Party?

The VVD had previously stipulated in the negotiations that the veto power applies to the party to which a person belongs, if that person is nominated as an outsider by another party. It seems inconceivable that another party would propose candidates from the Freedom Party, the NSC, or the BBB: they have hardly, or even no, people with administrative experience. This is different for the VVD, which includes many experienced administrators and many former deputies.

You are talking about 25 to 30 new ministers, and this takes time

On Monday afternoon, House staffers set up a white screen in the rooms where negotiators sit together. Coordinator Richard Van Zoll says the purpose of the screen is to depict the new ministers. This will happen after they present themselves to the negotiators there. Van Zoll says he doesn't know yet when that will happen. “You're talking about 25 to 30 people, and that takes time.”

Van Zoll does not want to clarify yet the extent of the parties' progress in filling positions. But even after they get out of there, van Zoll says, and people are found, a lot of practical arrangements still need to be made. The nominees still have to be vetted, and the House of Representatives will organize hearings with the nominated ministers for the first time. The new government, led by Dick Schoff, is supposed to be on stage just before the summer recess. It is not even ruled out that some ministers may not be known until later due to “limited logistical capabilities.” “Until the 1970s, it was common for them to first form the team of ministers and then allow the state secretariats to be filled. “Theoretically, it might be possible now.”

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