New Dutch Cabinet will have fewer Ministers, but four deputy Prime Ministers: report

The Schoof I Cabinet will likely have fewer Ministers and State Secretaries than the outgoing Rutte IV Cabinet, sources close to the formation process told the Telegraaf. As the intended Prime Minister Dick Schoof is considered “party-less” and represents all four parties in the coalition, the Cabinet will likely have four Deputy Prime Ministers - one each from the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB.

Schoof was sparing with information after his first formation session. “It was a beautiful day,” he told the press after meeting with the leaders of the coalition parties and formateur Richard van Zwol. “We had good conversations. But you understand, I will, of course, not make any statements about the content.”

In the outgoing Cabinet, the largest party provided the Prime Minister—Mark Rutte (VVD)—and each other coalition party provided a deputy Prime Minister: Sigrid Kaag (D66), Wopke Hoekstra (CDA), and Carola Schouten (ChristeUnie). Earlier in the negotiations, the leaders of the four right-wing parties agreed that none of them would be Prime Minister, and they would all remain parliamentarians.

The PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB are making great progress in deciding what the new Cabinet will look like and dividing the Cabinet posts between them, though they haven’t spoken much about who will fill those posts, the Telegraaf’s sources said.

The Rutte IV Cabinet started with a team of 29 members - 20 Ministers and nine State Secretaries. The new coalition aims for less. According to the Telegraaf, one of the Ministry of Finance’s two State Secretaries will likely be scrapped. The parties are also considering scrapping the Minister for Nature and Nitrogen. Instead, they want to create a new Minister position - Minister for Asylum and Migration. That file is currently handled by the State Secretary of Justice and Security.

According to Telegraaf’s sources, the parties are carefully considering which party will get which Ministerial post. A division of 6-4-4-2 is circulating, in which the PVV would provide six Ministers, the VVD four, the NSC four, and the BBB two. About half of the Ministers won’t be politicians but experts from the field.

Geert Wilders will have to widen his nets beyond the PVV to fill his Cabinet posts. The far-right party’s list of 45 candidates for the parliamentary election was basically exhausted by the 37 Tweede Kamer seats it won. Two others are holding Senate seats. Only six names remain, and the party needs some reserves in case a parliamentarian or Senator needs replacing. A few faction members’ names are circulating as possible PVV Ministers, including Fleur Agema for Public Health. SGP member and former formation talks leader Elbert Dijgkraaf and VVD member Fred Teeven could also end up on the Cabinet on behalf of the PVV.

The VVD is reportedly eyeing MP Eelco Heijnen for Minister of Finance. Sophie Hermans also wants to step out of parliament and into the Cabinet, Parool reported. NSC has Eddy van Hijum tipped for Social Affairs. The BBB wants Mona Keijzer in the Cabinet. According to Telegraaf’s sources, the farmers’ party is aiming for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature. The PVV wants to head Asylum.