David van Weel named new Dutch foreign minister as VVD reshuffles Cabinet posts

David van Weel will become the new foreign minister, replacing NSC’s Caspar Veldkamp, who resigned from his position. Van Weel's former post at Justice and Security will be taken over by former MP Foort van Oosten, while Senate president Jan Anthonie Bruijn will become the new health minister. In addition, Mariëlle Paul, currently state secretary for Education, will become minister of Social Affairs. This has been confirmed by insiders following reports from De Telegraaf.

This is the new division of ministerial posts within the Cabinet on behalf of the VVD. They are replacing the former NSC ministers who left the Cabinet a week and a half ago. They followed their party colleague Veldkamp, who resigned as minister because he felt there was no support in the Cabinet for stronger action against Israel.

A number of state secretary posts will also be filled again by the VVD. Former MP Arno Rutte will become the new state secretary for Legal Protection, responsible, among other things, for the prison system. MP Aukje de Vries will be state secretary for Foreign Trade, and Koen Becking will replace Paul as state secretary for Education.

Van Weel previously served as adviser to Prime Minister Mark Rutte on foreign affairs. He then worked as one of the assistants to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Van Oosten has been mayor of the municipality of Nissewaard since 2019 and was a VVD MP before that. He studied law, among other subjects, and began his career as a lawyer.

Bruijn, in addition to being Senate president, is also a professor of immune pathology specializing in kidney diseases. He was elected Senate president in 2019 and received a second term in 2023.