Cora van Nieuwenhuizen resigns her duties as minister of infrastructure and water management. The minister's departure follows shortly after Stientje van Veldhoven's premature resignation as state secretary for infrastructure.
Van Nieuwenhuizen submitted her resignation today as she has found a new job, with industry association Energie-Nederland. There she will start from 1 October. VVD party colleague Barbara Visser replaces Van Nieuwenhuizen as infrastructure minister. Visser was state secretary of Defence. Her duties will be taken over by minister Bijleveld.
Road pricing and Lelystad Airport
As minister, Van Nieuwenhuizen was known for her opposition to road pricing. The VVD minister was a strong supporter of the opening of Lelystad Airport. The opening of that airport has been postponed several times, including due to the nitrogen ruling and the corona crisis.
Information advance
The minister's new job is being criticised both because she is stepping down prematurely and because she will be working for a trade association representing companies such as Shell, Eneco, Vattenfall and Essent. Earlier this year, the VVD minister spent a few days at the helm of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK), which deals with all matters relating to electricity grids and gas extraction. Because of this - and because of her current ministerial role - Van Nieuwenhuizen may have an information advantage, the criticism goes.
Salient detail is that the government's rules of conduct state that civil servants at a ministry are not allowed to have contact with a minister who has become a lobbyist for two years. That means the minister would not be allowed to talk to EZK officials again until 20 January 2023.
Image: Nancy Beijersbergen/Shutterstock.com
