Report: Labour MP Martijn van Dam nominated for Economic Affairs

Labour leader Diederik Samsom has nominated PvdA parliamentarian Martijn van Dam to take over as State Secretary of Economic Affairs. The current state secretary Sharon Dijksma is expected to move to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment to take over from Wilma Mansveld, who resigned last week. This is according to the Telegraaf on Monday, based on sources in The Hague. According to the newspaper, Van Dam is currently undergoing background checks. This may prove to make him unsuitable for the position, but in practice that rarely happens. Van Dam has been a member of parliament since 2003, according to NU. He is involved in the asylum policy and media, among other things. Over the past few years he has been serving as vice chairman of the PvdA in the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament. According to the Telegraaf, Van Dam and Dijksma are expected to be appointed to their new positions on Wednesday or Thursday.