Relocation of PM Schoof’s ministry costs taxpayers €145 million
The Dutch government is spending 145 million euros to prepare a new temporary location for Prime Minister Dick Schoof and his staff, as they relocate from the Binnenhof to a ministry building on the Bezuidenhoutseweg. The move, which has been in progress for three years, has raised concerns over the high costs and extensive renovations, according to De Telegraaf.
The government’s real estate agency, Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, confirmed that the temporary housing for the Ministry of General Affairs is now complete. After an initial move to the ‘Justitietoren’ on the Turfmarkt, officials will soon relocate again to the Bezuidenhoutseweg building, which also houses the ministries of Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Climate.
The high cost of the relocation is primarily due to security enhancements, according to the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf. The ministry requires workspaces equipped for handling state secrets, with an increasing demand for such facilities across government agencies. The building will also have two separate entrances—one for VIPs through a central courtyard and another for staff and visitors via the main government office.
Ellen Gerrits, a project manager overseeing the renovation, explained one key reason for selecting the Bezuidenhoutseweg location to De Telegraaf: “The reception of VIPs and parking for ministers arriving for cabinet meetings were important factors in choosing this building.”
To maintain some continuity with the Binnenhof, the relocated ministry will feature a ‘new’ Trêveszaal, mirroring the historic meeting room where the cabinet traditionally convened under the 17th-century ceiling paintings of Theodoor van der Schuer.
Officials working on the project have expressed frustration at the scale of the renovations. “They’ve been building a kind of palace for three years,” said one anonymous source to De Telegraaf. The changes include the installation of a dedicated kitchen for the Ministry of General Affairs, as the existing facilities in the building were deemed inadequate.
The Rijksvastgoedbedrijf defended the decision, stating: “The ministry has a 24-hour function, regularly hosting government leaders and ministerial meetings where catering is required. The kitchen’s purpose is different from those of the ministries of Climate and Agriculture, which serve a general staff canteen.”
The government initially planned to move the ministry to the Catshuis, where cabinet meetings are temporarily being held. However, following protests from local residents, the Hague City Council opposed the plan in November 2021, forcing the government to choose an alternative location.
