Former parliament president Arib still unsure of accusations against her

Former Tweede Kamer president Khadija Arib “to this day” still does not know what the accusations against her are, she said in the VPRO program Zomergasten. Arib (PvdA) left parliament in October last year after misconduct allegations, NOS reports.

Arib was a member of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, for 24 years. She was Kamer president between 2016 and 2021. At the end of September last year, it leaked that the Kamer’s daily board - the presidium - was investigating her for transgressive behavior during her presidency based on two anonymous letters. The letters created the image of “a very unsafe working environment” under Arib, who allegedly abused her position and belittled people.

After stepping down in October, Arib accused current Kamer president Vera Bergkamp of stabbing her in the back. She repeated the criticism of the investigation and Bergkamp on Zomergasten. According to Arib, she was “thrown in front of a train” while the investigation is still ongoing and hasn’t yielded anything yet. “After almost a year, I still don’t know what the exact allegations entail.” The investigation would not have happened so shoddily under other Kamer presidents, Arib said. “Bergkamp had no authority to start this investigation like this.”

Arib thinks her assignment to reorganize the official organization of the Tweede Kamer played a role in her situation. When asked whether people could have experienced her harsher than she realizes, Arib said she couldn’t know. Because “so far, everything has been reported anonymously.” She said she “never threw doors” or “screamed at anyone.”

A spokesperson for the presidium told NOS in July that it was not yet clear when the investigation into Arib would be completed.

Arib hinted that she doesn’t intend to return to parliament or the Cabinet, regardless of the investigation’s outcome. But added that “politics is broader than the Kamer or a party.” She is still a member of the PvdA. “Many members support that party. I have had a lot of support from the members and am still a member out of loyalty to them.”