Ronald Plasterk says he will not seek to become next Dutch PM amid ethics probe
Politician Ronald Plasterk will not become the next prime minister of the Netherlands, he told the Telegraaf. Plasterk, a trained microbiologist who also writes a column for the newspaper, said he is "no longer available" for the job as he has found himself at the center of a growing controversy around a patent for a cancer treatment.
When he was the head of the Amsterdam Medical Center, Plasterk allegedly claimed sole credit for the medical treatment, and largely cut out the hospital and the researcher Kees Punt. He is both an oncology professor and the head of oncology at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, the teaching hospital's current name. Details about the ethics scandal have been published in recent weeks in the NRC, which noted Plasterk and his company earned millions of euros.
"Reports have recently appeared that question my integrity, and that would hinder my possible performance as Prime Minister, even if they are incorrect," Plasterk wrote on Monday. "The allegations made are essentially untrue and otherwise futile. I am completely virtuous, and I was prepared to have that integrity tested exhaustively by the formateur and his advisors."
By "formateur," he was referring to the person appointed to by the new political coalition to form a Cabinet. The new coalition from the PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB, want Richard van Zwol to hold the job. Normally, the person in that role would become prime minister, but Van Zwol does not want the position and the four parties have not yet unanimously agreed on a candidate.
Plasterk could soon find himself embroiled in litigation related to the patent claim. One attorney alleged that Plasterk's company intentionally falsified accounting documents, and planned to press charges of forgery. A patent expert also noted that Plasterk made critical errors which could invalidate his patent application in the United States, suggesting that other stakeholders could target him for damages.
"I am no longer available to become the leader of the Cabinet. I thank the many people who have expressed their confidence in me. Finally, I trust that this Cabinet will come into being, which has good plans for the country," Plasterk said.
The former interior minister was rumored to be the favorite candidate of PVV leader Geert Wilders. His party is the largest in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, giving him the lead in putting forward a potential successor to Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
"I have a lot of respect for you Ronald. You don't deserve this, but I understand your decision," Wilders wrote. "You would have been an excellent [prime minister] as far as I'm concerned."
Wilders never formally announced Plasterk as a candidate, and neither did the leaders of the other three parties entering into a coalition with the PVV. An ongoing spat between Plasterk and NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt was also problematic.
When Omtzigt abandoned the coalition talks Plasterk moderated in early February, he took Plasterk's designated car and driver to visit a hotel and speak with reporters. Omtzigt felt Plasterk was trying to throw him under the bus when Plasterk disclosed this, and violated an agreement about keeping the process of forming a new coalition under wraps.
Omtzigt reportedly demanded a public apology from Plasterk before saying he would support him as prime minister. Plasterk obliged with a terse, one-paragraph statement beginning with the words, "Sorry Peter!" It was published in the Telegraaf's section for letters and comments from readers.
