MP's demand answers about Minister's alleged nepotism at broadcaster ON!

The VVD and D66 want clarification from the Cabinet about the course of events surrounding Reinette Klever's departure from Ongehoord Nederland (ON!) when she became Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid in early July. Klever was the business director of the young broadcast company and is said to have transferred some of her tasks to her daughter, who also works there. The PVV minister denies this is the case and says nothing is wrong but did not respond to further questions from the ANP.

MP Claire Martens of the coalition party VVD is asking Minister Eppo Bruins, who is responsible for media, how he assesses the transfer and whether there is a possible conflict of interest, which several media companies reported. She also wants to know what Bruins thinks of the integrity, social safety, and journalistic quality at ON! and wonders whether the broadcaster is transparent enough about the spending of tax money that the broadcasters are paid with.

D66 MP Jan Paternotte will ask the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, questions about the subject. In addition to the issue with Klever, he wants to know more about internal conflicts within the broadcast company between employees, presenters, managers, and the supervisory board that have emerged via social media in recent days. The D66 member refers to possible anti-Semitic statements and the denial of the Holocaust by one or more employees.

The situation escalated after ON! chairman Arnold Karskens was suspended by the broadcaster's supervisory board this weekend. Complaints about inappropriate behavior, among other things, are the reason for this, but Karskens himself called them "false and anonymous allegations."