Last week, the VVD minister caused a lot of surprise by resigning as minister and starting work at lobby club Energie-Nederland. This association represents the interests of companies such as Eneco, Shell, Gazprom, BP and BAM Bouw en Techniek.
Her ministry then to Loyalty know that the ‘lobbying ban’, a two-year gag order between outgoing ministers and officials from the ministry they headed, would not apply to her. The reason was that energy falls under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
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Rutte will return to this today in a response to questions from the House of Representatives. According to him, the lobbying ban does apply to the former minister. “Ministries will explicitly not accept the minister as a lobbyist after resigning for a period of two years,” Rutte writes. The secretary-general, the highest official of the ministry, can also decide to make an exception for someone.
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A lot of criticism
Van Nieuwenhuizen’s decision to switch from politics to a lobby association was widely criticized, but according to her, the switch fit within the applicable rules. She also said she consciously kept aloof from everything that had to do with energy at her ministry. In addition, she points out that she has asked the Secretary-General ‘to draw her attention to matters that fall within her responsibility and that may directly or indirectly affect a new position’.
As of October 1, Van Nieuwenhuizen will start as chairman at Energie-Nederland. She will be succeeded by current State Secretary for Defense Barbara Visser.
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