Majority in Tweede Kamer demands lobby register, Minister resists
A majority in the Tweede Kamer is demanding the swift implementation of a lobbying register that would require government officials to disclose meetings with interest groups before policy decisions are made. Despite strong support from lawmakers, Minister of the Interior Judith Uitermark has resisted the measure, calling it “disproportionate.”
During a parliamentary debate, nearly all attending parties voiced support for the register, emphasizing the need for increased transparency. The proposal includes mandatory publication of meeting records for ministers, state secretaries, and senior officials.
Uitermark, a member of the Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC) party, has argued that existing tools ensure sufficient integrity in policymaking. “I do not see the lobbying register as a proportional measure,” she stated.
However, lawmakers from multiple parties questioned her stance. Socialist Party (SP) lawmaker Michiel van Nispen criticized her reasoning, asking, “Disproportionate for whom? For big corporations?”
Among the attending parties, only the VVD opposed the register. VVD lawmaker Martijn Buijsse insisted that ethical governance is a personal responsibility. “If an official occasionally has to resign due to a scandal, that’s a healthy mechanism,” he said. While the VVD opposes the register, the party supports making officials’ schedules public.
Many lawmakers urged Uitermark to draft legislation for the register. Laurens Dassen of Volt warned that if she refused, he would introduce a motion himself. Similar motions have previously received broad parliamentary support. The proposal has backing from NSC, GroenLinks-PvdA, SP, and D66. PVV lawmaker Marco Deen did not comment on the specific proposal but affirmed his support for a lobbying register in principle.
Despite her reservations, Uitermark acknowledged the lawmakers’ urgency. She agreed to examine how a lobbying register could be structured in the Netherlands, citing ongoing European Union efforts to enhance transparency.
“The EU is working on transparency regulations that may be finalized before summer. Creating a national directive now could lead to redundant work,” she explained. She added that the government is already working to increase the transparency of officials’ schedules. “At this moment, I cannot do more,” she concluded.
Dassen dismissed her response as “a weak commitment,” noting that the EU had already mandated lobbying registers in 2017. “All these assurances should have been made long ago,” he said.
