Rianne Letschert to be Education Minister for D66; CDA's Bart van Brink taking on Asylum
While the VVD has already published a list of its intended Cabinet members in the upcoming Jetten I government, the D66 and CDA seem to still be deliberating. So far, only three names have been leaked. Former formateur Rianne Letschert (D66) will become the new Minister of Education, Culture and Science, sources told NOS. Bart van Brink (CDA) will be Minister of Asylum and Migration, and Hans Vijlbrief will serve as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, sources told ANP.
Letschert led the previous phase of the Cabinet formation process, helping the D66, VVD, and CDA get to a consensus and write their coalition agreement. Her name has been circulating for some time as a possible Education Minister. She is currently the chair of the Executive Board of Maastricht University. She will work with Judit Tielen (VVD) as the State Secretary of her Ministry.
Vijlbrief has been a part of D66's parliamentary group since 2023. He served as State Secretary for Mining in the Rutte IV Cabinet from 2022 to 2024, overseeing Groningen gas production and the handling of related damages. Prior to this, he was State Secretary for Finance in the Rutte III Cabinet.
It is also known that D66 leader Rob Jetten will become Prime Minister, and as such, head the Ministry of General Affairs. His role as parliamentary faction leader will be taken over by Jan Paternotte.
The CDA has picked Bart van den Brink to head the Asylum and Migration Ministry, several sources told ANP. Van den Brink and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal’s partner in the coalition negotiations, and has been active in the CDA’s top leadership for years. He previously served as spokesperson, campaign manager, political assistant, and parliamentarian. As MP, he currently has asylum affairs as part of his portfolio.
The CDA told NOS that it hopes to announce the names of its prospective Ministers and State Secretaries after the weekend, and that most of the party’s candidates will be external - people without experience in The Hague.
D66 has not yet said when it will release its list of prospective Cabinet members.
The coalition parties are aiming to have King Willem-Alexander swear in the new Cabinet on February 23rd. The date has been penciled into his diary.
The Jetten I Cabinet will have 28 members: 18 Ministers and 10 State Secretaries. As the largest party, the D66 is set to have seven Ministers, the VVD six, and the CDA five.
