PVV chief Geert Wilders appointed ex-PvdA member Dick Schoof (now with out a celebration) as prime minister candidate. The highest official is aware of all of the caverns of The Hague and is an skilled within the subject of immigration and safety, writes Carla Joosten.
Dick Schoof has spent his skilled life in or close to the ministerial towers that dominate The Hague’s skyline. The 67-year-old high civil servant may retire, however needed to proceed for an additional three years and was given permission to take action. He couldn’t have imagined that this might be the case as Prime Minister.
In his earlier function, Schoof was already relaxed concerning the political revolution that befell on November 22 with the victory of the PVV. Not like many officers in The Hague, he didn’t panic.
He believes in a wholesome relationship between civil service and politics. The politician is at all times the boss, Schoof mentioned earlier this 12 months The Inexperienced Amsterdammer. He identified that supporters of the PVV additionally work within the Division of Justice and Safety. He expects all civil servants to have an open, skilled perspective in direction of politicians of any coloration.
Schoof doesn’t see the rule of regulation merely collapsing
Schoof, born in 1957 in Santpoort, North Holland, doesn’t concern the collapse of the rule of regulation or the erosion of democracy, as some in The Hague consider now {that a} cupboard with the PVV is taking workplace. Based on him, the rule of regulation could be very sturdy. Based on him, freedom of expression and the precept of equality are essential ensures of the rule of regulation.
He himself was a member of the PvdA for a few years, however canceled that membership on January 1, 2021. On the request of EW why he did that, Schoof replied at his press convention that he now not felt associated to the celebration.
Dick Schoof was concerned in all of the immigration discussions
His views sound extra pragmatic than ideological. In the beginning of this century, he was proper on high of the Fortuyn revolt and, in numerous positions, was concerned in discussions about aliens coverage, immigration and makes an attempt to stem the inflow of asylum seekers, the primary theme of the would-be cupboard.
He himself was head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, but additionally of the safety providers AIVD and NCTV. In these positions he additionally had lots of private contact with Geert Wilders, who has been a protector for years. He as soon as warned up to now about indoctrination in Islamic colleges.
Lately, as the best official of Justice and Safety, he has been near Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz: she is his neighbor on the eighth flooring of that ministry.
EWcolumnist Afshin Ellian criticized Schoof’s view of Salafism in 2015. Dick Schoof was ‘dismayingly naive’ concerning the radical Islamic motion, Ellian wrote. A 12 months later, Dick Schoof gave in EW his imaginative and prescient on the legal method to returning IS fighters and he already had the legal information prepared for them.
‘Energy of change’ is what Dick Schoof believes
Dick Schoof sees that criticism of the federal government is growing. He commented on that The Inexperienced Amsterdammer: ‘I learn newspapers, observe social media and even watch TV often, though it’s a repository of distress. I’m an activist in my very own method. I nonetheless consider within the energy of change. Maybe naive, however I believe that as a authorities we will actually do one thing for this society. I’m additionally very involved concerning the countless expectations.’
Residents anticipate an excessive amount of from the federal government and suppose that every one catastrophe could be averted, however in line with Schoof that isn’t doable. An assault is at all times doable. The federal government can at most attempt to hold the dangers as small as doable.
The truth that Wilders and the leaders of VVD, NSC and BBB have requested him to be prime minister signifies that no small quantity of consideration is being paid to the spots that Dick Schoof has on his file. For instance, he’s mentioned to have wrongly interfered with the conclusions of the MH-17 investigation and in one other case to have had residents adopted by faux accounts.
A former worker calls Schoof ‘quick, a virtuoso chairman, good at it considering forward and formidable director. He’s extraordinarily versatile and verbally gifted.’
Dick Schoof(Santpoort, 1957) studied city planning in Nijmegen, grew to become an schooling coverage officer on the Affiliation of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) and in 1988 he moved to the Ministry of Schooling, Tradition and Science (OCW).
In 1996, Dick Schoof grew to become Deputy Secretary Basic on the Ministry of Justice.
From that point on he would at all times have positions at or close to this ministry. From 1999 to 2003, Schoof was chief director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) and later additionally undertaking director-general of the Aliens Act 2000.
Dick Schoof then grew to become Director Basic of Public Order and Safety on the Ministry of the Inside and Kingdom Relations (BZK), the place he took the initiative for a Nationwide Safety Technique and took on the method to radicalization, which was really an space of the Ministry of Justice.
In his spare time, Schoof likes to run marathons, like within the picture above.
He successively grew to become Director Basic of Public Order and Safety, Ministry of the Inside and Kingdom Relations (2003-2010), Director Basic of Police, Ministry of Safety and Justice (2010-2013), Nationwide Coordinator for Counterterrorism (2013-2018), Director -Basic AIVD (Basic Intelligence and Safety Service) (2018-2020). Since March 2020, he has been Secretary Basic on the Ministry of Justice and Safety.
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