The D66 and CDA parties have announced their nominations for the incoming Jetten cabinet, following the VVD’s announcement last week. The new minority coalition is finalising its ministerial and state secretary team, with several high-profile appointments confirmed by insiders and party reports.
D66
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma will serve as the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. A prominent member of parliament for 10 years, Sjoerdsma made international headlines in 2021 when he was added to a Chinese sanctions list. This was a retaliatory move by Beijing following EU measures against human rights violations involving the Uyghur minority. In his new role, Sjoerdsma will oversee a 257 million euro investment in development cooperation, focused on education, women’s rights, and global health.
Stientje van Veldhoven returns to the cabinet as the Minister of Climate and Green Growth. Previously a state secretary and a director at the World Resources Institute, she faces the challenge of meeting the national goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030. The coalition has identified grid congestion (net congestion) as its highest priority.
Jaimi van Essen, currently an alderperson (wethouder) in Deventer, is the new Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. At 34, he will manage a 20-billion-euro fund to resolve the nitrogen crisis and restore nature. He faces a difficult relationship with farming organisations due to D66’s previous calls to reduce livestock numbers.
Nathalie van Berkel will become the State Secretary of Finance. Currently an MP and a former board member at the benefits agency (UWV), she will work alongside VVD Minister Eelco Heinen. Additionally, Senator Willemijn Aerdts, an expert in intelligence services, has been nominated as State Secretary for Economic Affairs, with a focus on the digital economy and sovereignty.
CDA
The CDA has nominated Pieter Heerma to lead the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations. He is joined by Tom Berendsen as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Bart van den Brink as Minister of Asylum and Migration.
Heleen Herbert will take over the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, while Mirjam Sterk has been appointed as Minister for Long-Term Care, Youth and Sport.
The party’s state secretaries include Derk Boswijk at Defence and Jo-Annes de Bat for Climate and Green Growth. Annet Bertram, a senior civil servant currently serving as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration, will become the State Secretary of Infrastructure and Water Management.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
