Schoof cabinet

Dutch government cabinet, since 2024
  • Fleur Agema
  • Sophie Hermans
  • Eddy van Hijum
  • Mona Keijzer
No. of ministers16Member parties
  •   PVV
  •   VVD
  •   NSC
  •   BBB
Status in legislatureRight-wing,[1] majority government (coalition government)
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HistoryElection2023 electionLegislature terms2023–presentIncoming formation2023–2024 formationPredecessorFourth Rutte cabinet
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Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or. [The seven arrows stand for the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht.] The shield is crowned with the (Dutch) royal crown and supported by two lions Or armed and langued gules. They stand on a scroll Azure with the text (Or) "Je Maintiendrai" (French for "I will maintain".)
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The Schoof cabinet is the cabinet of the Netherlands, sworn in on 2 July 2024. Led by independent politician and civil servant Dick Schoof as prime minister of the Netherlands, the cabinet was formed by the Party for Freedom (PVV), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the New Social Contract (NSC) and the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) after the 2023 Dutch general election.

Formation

Under informateurs Elbert Dijkgraaf and Richard van Zwol, the four parties (the right-wing populist PVV, the conservative liberal VVD, the Christian democratic NSC, and the agrarian BBB) reached the outline of a coalition agreement, titled "Hope, Courage, and Pride", on 16 May 2024.[2] They agreed to form an extra-parliamentary cabinet, which they defined as a cabinet with a greater distance to parliamentary groups in the House of Representatives.[3] Votes in parliament of coalition parties were not bound on issues not covered in the agreement, such as pensions, as long as they would not impact the budget.[4] Van Zwol was appointed formateur on 22 May. On 11 June, the four parties agreed on the names of candidates and the distribution of ministerial posts. The cabinet consists of 29 members, the same amount as its predecessor, of which 16 are ministers. Three new ministerial posts were created, the Minister of Asylum and Migration, the Minister of Climate and Green Growth, and the Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning; and it includes one minister without portfolio, namely the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.[5]

Following the formation, the cabinet was tasked with expanding the outline of the coalition agreement into a governing agreement.[3] It was finalized by the Council of Ministers on 6 September 2024, ahead of the presentation of the 2025 Netherlands budget on Prinsjesdag.[6]

Term

Agriculture

The coalition agreement scrapped a €24 billion transition fund that was created by the fourth Rutte cabinet in response to the nitrogen crisis to fund provincial plans to improve water and nature quality. Instead, an extra €5 billion in funding was designated for agriculture. Minister Femke Wiersma announced in September 2024 that provinces no longer had to submit plans, awaiting a new national strategy to tackle the nitrogen crisis.[7][8]

Defense

In response the Russian invasion of Ukraine, coalition parties agreed to increase defense spending to adhere to the NATO target of 2% of GDP. Minister Ruben Brekelmans and State Secretary Gijs Tuinman announced €2.4 billion in increased yearly funding for the Netherlands Armed Forces in September 2024. This would go towards attracting more personnel and the purchase of munitions, 50 Leopard 2A8 battle tanks, six F-35 fighter jets, two Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates, and several NH90 military helicopters. The Netherlands had been left without tanks since 2011 because of budget cuts.[9][10]

Cabinet members

The party affiliations shown below indicate the party by which a cabinet member was given. Some cabinet members are a member of a different party or of no party.

Prime minister and deputy prime ministers in the Schoof cabinet[11]
Title Minister Term of office
Image Name Party Start End
Prime Minister
Dick Schoof
Dick Schoof
Dick Schoof Indep. 2 July 2024 Incumbent
First Deputy Prime Minister
Fleur Agema
Fleur Agema
Fleur Agema PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Second Deputy Prime Minister
Sophie Hermans
Sophie Hermans
Sophie Hermans VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Third Deputy Prime Minister
Eddy van Hijum
Eddy van Hijum
Eddy van Hijum NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Fourth Deputy Prime Minister
Mona Keijzer
Mona Keijzer
Mona Keijzer BBB 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Ministers in the Schoof cabinet[11]
Title Minister Term of office
Image Name Party Start End
Minister of General Affairs
Dick Schoof
Dick Schoof
Dick Schoof Indep. 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport
Fleur Agema
Fleur Agema
Fleur Agema PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth
Sophie Hermans
Sophie Hermans
Sophie Hermans VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
Eddy van Hijum
Eddy van Hijum
Eddy van Hijum NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning
Mona Keijzer
Mona Keijzer
Mona Keijzer BBB 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Caspar Veldkamp
Caspar Veldkamp
Caspar Veldkamp NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Justice and Security
David van Weel
David van Weel
David van Weel VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Judith Uitermark NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Education, Culture and Science
Eppo Bruins
Eppo Bruins
Eppo Bruins NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Finance
Eelco Heinen
Eelco Heinen
Eelco Heinen VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Defence
Ruben Brekelmans
Ruben Brekelmans
Ruben Brekelmans VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management
Barry Madlener.jpg
Barry Madlener PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Economic Affairs
Dirk Beljaarts PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
Femke WIERSMA July 2024 (cropped).jpg
Femke Wiersma BBB 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister of Asylum and Migration
Marjolein Faber
Marjolein Faber
Marjolein Faber PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development[i]
Reinette Klever
Reinette Klever
Reinette Klever PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
State secretaries in the Schoof cabinet[11]
Ministry Title State secretary Term of office
Image Name Party Start End
Justice and Security State Secretary for Justice and Security
Ingrid Coenradie PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
State Secretary for Legal Protection
Teun Struycken 2023 cut.jpg
Teun Struycken Indep.[ii] 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Interior and Kingdom Relations State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalisation
Zsolt Szabó
Zsolt Szabó
Zsolt Szabó PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
State Secretary for Reparations for Groningen
Eddie van Marum BBB 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Education, Culture and Science State Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education and Equal Opportunities
Mariëlle Paul
Mariëlle Paul
Mariëlle Paul VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Finance State Secretary for Tax Affairs and the Tax Administration
Folkert Idsinga NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
State Secretary for Benefits and Customs
Nora Achahbar NSC 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Defence State Secretary for Defence
Gijs Tuinman
Gijs Tuinman
Gijs Tuinman BBB 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Infrastructure and Water Management State Secretary for Public Transport and the Environment
Portrait of Chris Jansen.png
Chris Jansen PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature State Secretary for Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
Luis Planas, Femke Wiersma and Jean Rummenie - Agriculture and Fisheries Council - July 2024.jpg
Jean Rummenie BBB 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Social Affairs and Employment State Secretary for Participation and Integration
Jurgen Nobel VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
Health, Welfare and Sport State Secretary for Long-term and Social Care
Vicky Maeijer.jpg
Vicky Maeijer PVV 2 July 2024 Incumbent
State Secretary for Youth, Prevention and Sport
Vincent Karremans VVD 2 July 2024 Incumbent
  1. ^ Minister without portfolio within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  2. ^ Teun Struycken joined the cabinet on behalf of New Social Contract, but is not affiliated with the party.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dutch parties agree on final formation of rightwing government, Wilders says". Reuters. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Partijleiders nu definitief akkoord • Presentatie verschoven naar vanochtend" [Party leaders definitively in agreement • Presentation postponed to this morning]. NOS (in Dutch). 16 May 2024. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b Van den Dool, Pim (2024-05-31). "Beoogd premier Schoof belandt in een politiek mijnenveld" [Prime minister-designate Schoof will end up in a political minefield]. NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2024-05-31. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  4. ^ Sie, Puck (29 May 2024). "De voordracht van Schoof als premier roept veel nieuwe vragen op" [Schoof's nomination as prime minister raises many new questions]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Verdeling kabinetsposten nu officieel: drie nieuwe ministeries" [Division of cabinet posts official: Three new ministries]. NOS (in Dutch). 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  6. ^ Slomp, Priscilla; Oving, Sanne (6 September 2024). "Kabinet is het na stevig en lang overleg eens over regeerprogramma" [Cabinet has reached governing agreement after firm and long discussion]. NU.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  7. ^ Du Pré, Raoul (4 September 2024). "Minister Wiersma stelt het geduld van de Kamer op de proef: de stikstofstrategie is weg, maar waar blijft de nieuwe?" [Minister Wiersma tests the Houses's patience: The nitrogen strategy is gone, but when will its replacement come?]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Kabinet schrapt huidige stikstofplannen, provincies reageren verrast" [Cabinet eliminates current nitrogen plans, provinces respond surprised]. NU.nl (in Dutch). 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Defensienota: leger redt het niet met alleen beroepsmilitairen en reservisten" [Defense memo: Army needs more than just professional soldiers and reservists]. NOS (in Dutch). 5 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  10. ^ Derix, Steven (5 September 2024). "Tanks, vliegtuigen en fregatten zijn niet genoeg: defensie heeft de samenleving nodig" [Tanks, aircraft, and frigates are not enough: Defense needs society]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Members of the government". Government.nl. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Teun Struycken". Government.nl. Retrieved 25 August 2024. No party affiliation (proposed by NSC)
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