Stef Blok to be new Minister of Foreign Affairs: report

Stef Blok will be appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Telegraaf reports on Monday. He is expected to be sworn in on Friday.

VVD member Blok was Minister of Housing and later the Minister of Justice and Security in the previous government. He will now be succeeding Halbe Zijlstra, who stepped down a few weeks ago after lying about meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Blok doesn't have much foreign affairs experience. As parliamentarian he spoke mainly on Finance, Social Affairs and conducted research into integration policy. Before that he worked at ABN Amro. Yet he is considered a safe choice, as many agreed that he restored calm at the Ministry of Security and Justice after numerous scandals during the previous government's term. In The Hague Blok is known for being solid, calm and a bit boring, according to the newspaper.

Other people considered for the job as Foreign Affairs Minister included previous Health Minister Edith Schippers and previous Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert. Schippers turned down the job, and it was decided that it was too soon for Hennis to return as Minister after her resignation as Defense Minister in October last year, according to the Telegraaf.