Kaspar Veldkamp

A new government has officially begun its tenure in the Netherlands, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

According to NOS, the inauguration was marked by a ceremony where sixteen ministers, including the prime minister and deputy prime ministers, took the oath of office in the presence of King Willem-Alexander at the Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague.

Earlier in the day, King Willem-Alexander and Schoof signed decrees confirming Schoof’s appointment as prime minister.

King Willem-Alexander and Schoof signed decrees confirming Schoof’s appointment as prime minister.

This development follows six months of coalition negotiations. In mid-June, the distribution of key positions within the new cabinet was finalised. The coalition comprises Geert Wilders‘ Party for Freedom (PVV), the centre-right liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the centrist New Social Contract party, and the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB).

Key positions have been allocated as follows: the Ministry of Defence will be overseen by the VVD, represented by current Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Ruben Brekelmans is set to head this department. The New Social Contract party, founded by former Christian Democrat Pieter Omtzigt, has secured four ministerial positions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will be led by Kaspar Veldkamp, a former ambassador to Israel and Greece.

Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister, will take on the role of NATO Secretary-General from 1 October. Rutte has the distinction of being the longest-serving prime minister in modern Dutch history. He first assumed the role in 2010 and, in August 2022, surpassed the record previously held by Ruud Lubbers, who served from late 1982 to the summer of 1994.

Reflecting on his tenure, Rutte rated his performance as a “6 out of 10.” He also mentioned in media interviews that he does not plan to relocate permanently to Brussels and hopes to continue his teaching career alongside his new responsibilities.