Far-right PVV to handle integration policy; Minister won’t apologize for discrimination

In the Schoof I Cabinet, integration will fall under the Ministry of Justice and Security, not the Ministry of Social Affairs, as it currently does, Ingrid Coenradie of the far-right PVV, the candidate for State Secretary of Justice and Security, said on Tuesday after meeting with formateur Richard van Zwol and candidate Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Marojlein Faber, the PVV’s candidate for Immigration Minister, said she would not take back past statements about repopulation and describing Islam as a reprehensible ideology, but she intends to act as a Minister should.

On Tuesday, Ingrid Coenradie said that, as State Secretary of Justice and Security, she would be responsible for the Civic Integration Act, the prison system, morals, and crisis management, according to ANP.

The Ministry of Justice and Security handles the police and the rule of law. The new right-wing government’s decision to move integration under its purview is extra remarkable given that the Schoof I Cabinet will also have a separate State Secretary for Participation and Integration, which falls under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

Schoof and Van Zwol also spoke to Marjolein Faber, the PVV candidate for Minister of Asylum and Migration, on Tuesday. Her nomination sparked several crisis meetings between the four coalition parties last week after the VVD raised concerns about discriminatory statements she had made. In the past, the far-right politician spoke about migration as “repopulation” - an idea that forms part of the conspiracy theory that people of Color are trying to replace white populations - and described Islam as a reprehensible ideology, among other things.

After the meeting, Faber said she understands the commotion about her candidacy, but she does not intend to take back her statements. She said she does not want to “invest energy in reviewing previous statements,” NOS reports. She will focus her energy on her new challenge: “implementing a strong asylum policy.” Faber said she would be a Minister for “everyone in the Netherlands.”

Reinette Klever, another PVV candidate Minister with controversy around her, said she would do “her best” to implement the agreements made by the coalition parties. She will be the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid, despite proposing as a parliamentarian to abolish all development aid. Klever said she understood why her nomination raised eyebrows. “But then I promoted the PVV program, and now I am in a different role.”

Schoof and Van Zwol also spoke to candidate Ministers Judith Uitermark (NSC) of Home Affairs, Eppo Bruins of Education (NSC), and David van Weel (VVD) of Justice and Security on Tuesday. They all stressed that they will pay close attention to compliance with the agreements. “I will hold everyone equally to that responsibility,” Uitermark said.

NOS pointed out that several PVV candidates promised to behave as Cabinet Members should, while other candidates promised to make sure everything happens according to the agreements and rule of law.

On Wednesday, Schoof and Van Zwol will have their third and last day of one-on-one meetings with candidate Cabinet members. The meetings are intended to make sure the candidates are suitable. They broach all relevant topics for a new Minister, ranging from paid and unpaid ancillary functions to business and financial interests to personal health. They warn them about the physically demanding job that awaits and ask the important question: is there anything “from the past or present” that could put the candidate themself or the Cabinet “in a difficult situation?”