Jetten I Cabinet takes office today; Third swearing-in ceremony in just over four years
For the third time in just over four years, a new Dutch Cabinet takes office today. King Willem-Alexander will swear in the Jetten I Cabinet this morning. Afterward, the members of the minority Cabinet will travel to their Ministries to officially take over from their predecessors.
The swearing-in ceremony will happen at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague. Immediately afterward, the new Cabinet will pose for a photo with the monarch on the palace steps.
The ceremony is steeped in tradition, NOS reports. The Ministers and State Secretaries can choose between a religious or non-religious oath, saying either “So help me God Almighty” or “I declare and promise this.” They can also take the oath in Frisian, the Netherlands’ second official language, if they choose.
Men must appear before the King in a morning coat, and then change in between the swearing-in ceremony and the photo to a plain dark suit. According to NOS, legend has it that this is because Willem-Alexander’s grandmother, Queen Juliana, did not want to be photographed with “a bunch of undertakers.” There’s no special dress code for female Cabinet members.
After the ceremony and photo, the new Ministers and State Secretaries will travel to their Ministries. There, they’ll officially take over the portfolio from their predecessors and receive an introductory brochure to familiarize themselves with the Ministry’s procedures.
This afternoon, the first meeting of this Cabinet, the Council of Ministers, will take place. Due to the renovation of the Binnenhof, this will happen at the temporary Ministry of General Affairs instead of in the historic Trêveszaal, as is traditional.
This evening, the Cabinet will present itself to the media at the Catshuis, the Prime Minister’s official residence in The Hague.
A full list of the Ministers and State Secretaries in the Jetten I Cabinet follows below. The minority Jetten I Cabinet consists of 18 ministers and 10 state secretaries from D66, VVD, and CDA. The new Cabinet decided to scrap the distinction between “ministers of” and “ministers for.” Ministers for traditionally did not have their own budgets and were often viewed as having lower status. Under the new structure, all cabinet members now carry the title “minister of,” even when no separate budget is attached.
Prime Minister and General Affairs
- Rob Jetten (D66), Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs
Foreign Affairs
- Tom Berendsen (CDA), Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Sjoerd Sjoerdsma (D66), Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
Justice and Security
- David van Weel (VVD), Minister of Justice and Safety
- Claudie van Bruggen (D66), State Secretary for Justice (legal protection and prison system)
- Bart van den Brink (CDA), Vice Premier and Minister of Asylum and Migration
Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations
- Pieter Heerma (CDA), Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations
- Eric van der Burg (VVD), State Secretary for Interior and Kingdom Relations
- Elanor Boekholt-O'Sullivan (D66), Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning
Education, Culture, and Science
- Rianne Letschert (D66), Minister of Education, Culture, and Science
- Judith Tielen (VVD), State Secretary for Education, Culture, and Science
Finance
- Eelco Heinen (VVD), Minister of Finance
- Eelco Eerenberg (D66), State Secretary for Finance
- Sandra Palmen (Independent), State Secretary for Tax Recovery
Defense
- Dilan Yesilgöz (VVD), Vice Premier and Minister of Defense
- Derk Boswijk (CDA), State Secretary for Defense
Infrastructure and Water Management
- Vincent Karremans (VVD), Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management
- Annet Bertram (CDA), State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management
Economic Affairs and Climate
- Heleen Herbert (CDA), Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate
- Stientje van Veldhoven (D66), Minister of Climate and Green Growth
- Willemijn Aerdts (D66), State Secretary for Digital Economy and Sovereignty
- Jo-Annes de Bat (CDA), State Secretary for Climate and Green Growth
Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature
- Jaimi van Essen (D66), Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature
- Silvio Erkens (VVD), State Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature
Social Affairs and Employment
- Hans Vijlbrief (D66), Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
- Thierry Aartsen (VVD), Minister of Work and Participation
Health, Welfare, and Sport
- Sophie Hermans (VVD), Minister of Health, Welfare, and Sport
- Mirjam Sterk (CDA), Minister of Long-Term Care, Youth, and Sport
