Schoof rates his premiership “between 6 and 7,” calls role more intense than expected
Dick Schoof, who served as the partyless prime minister for one and a half years under a fractious coalition of PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, gave his own premiership a self-assessed grade of “between 6 and 7” in an interview with AD. He described the role as “a bit more intense than I had thought.”
Schoof said his government laid the groundwork for several initiatives, including strict asylum laws, but was unable to complete them. The laws passed the Tweede Kamer after a turbulent process, still await consideration in the Eerste Kamer, and continue to face criticism from implementation agencies.
The premiership began with an unexpected call from PVV leader Geert Wilders. “I thought: this must be a joke that got out of hand,” Schoof recalled. Later, then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte called to convince him and attempted to reduce the workload of the office.
He described the job as “really a bit heavier than I expected.” He recalled one low point during budget negotiations when he had to wait in the hallway while party leaders negotiated. Asked whether he felt respected that evening, Schoof replied, “No, you cannot say that.”
At critical moments, Schoof had no party support to rely on. He said he occasionally used the option of resigning as leverage, though he “never literally threatened,” but it did “once or twice really come onto the table.” Everyone knew a resolution was needed immediately to avoid failure, he said.
Schoof also said the premiership affected his personal life, straining friendships. He said that friends and family were critical of his role in a cabinet that included the PVV.
He cited the so-called “ribbon affair,” when PVV asylum minister Marjolein Faber refused to sign awards for volunteers in the asylum sector. Schoof and then-Interior Minister Judith Uitermark (NSC) signed instead, after which Faber acquiesced.
