24 Feb 2024 at 00:22
Ernst Kuipers has explained why he resigned as healthcare minister from the outgoing cabinet at the beginning of this year. He wanted to apply for a job in Singapore for which he has now been accepted.
Bee Op1 and in NRC Kuipers acknowledged that he did not yet have a new job at the time of his resignation. Previously, the general thought was that he had already been hired for a position elsewhere. There was a lot of fuss about that.
On Thursday, Singaporean university Nanyang Technological University announced that Kuipers will work there. The former minister will become vice-chairman of the research department.
He had previously not told anyone what job or position he was leaving the Binnenhof for, not even the prime minister and his own D66 party leader Rob Jetten. This led to strong criticism of the Binnenhof, also because a few weeks later the healthcare budget was discussed in the House of Representatives. The Minister for Medical Care Conny Helder had to replace him.
Kuipers thinks the fuss is a shame, but points out that he has been committed to healthcare for forty years and, as a minister, also to public affairs. As a minister like himself, there is also a greater chance that offers will come from the sector, he says. Other ministers who have risen in politics are more likely to move on to another administrative position.
Kuipers actually wanted to remain minister
He would have preferred to continue as minister, but due to the disappointing results for D66 in the elections in November, that was no longer an option. Kuipers said he had already received several offers for positions in the months before – since the cabinet fell in the summer. But he had turned that down.
Only when Singapore came along again at the end of last year and he might want to continue with someone else, did he decide to apply. The process took a long time because multiple agencies were involved in the appointment.
Kuipers emphasizes that in his new position he is also indirectly valuable to healthcare in the Netherlands, because Nanyang Technological University is known for innovation and improvements in healthcare.
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- 22 Feb 2024 at 07:45
Resigned minister Ernst Kuipers will work at a university in Singapore
Beeld: Getty Images
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2024-02-23 23:22:53
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