Goodbye Binnenhof: MPs move out as five-year renovation begins

Parliamentarians debated for the last time in the Tweede Kamer building on the Binnenhof in The Hague on Thursday night. Renovation of Binnenhof will begin during the summer recess and will take at least some 5.5 years to be completed, ANP reported.

At 01:29 a.m. on Friday, Kamer president Vera Bergkamp closed the debate with her gavel and switched off the Kamer lights. When the parliamentarians return for the coronavirus debate in the middle of their break, that debate will be held in the Ridderzaal. 

The former building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will serve as the new parliamentary backdrop for the coming years. The building is expected to be ready by the second half of August, which is when a new parliamentary year begins. 

The new building is located in Bezuidenhoutseweg in The Hague. Some parts of the building still need to be finalized before the temporary Tweede Kamer home can start welcoming parliamentarians. 

Former Tweede Kamer chair Khadija Arib fought tooth and nail to prevent the move from happening. She advocated for a gradual renovation of the Binnenhof. However, State Secretary Raymond Knops of Internal Affairs, who is responsible for the move, advocated in support of it. He argued it would take less time and cost less than a phased renovation.

The Binnenhof is one of the most iconic sites in the Netherlands and is also counted among the Top 100 Dutch national monuments.