Education minister Eppo Bruins also resigns, climate minister Sophie Hermans takes over temporarily

VVD minister Sophie Hermans will temporarily take charge of the ministry of Education, Culture and Science now NSC minister Eppo Bruins has resigned. Following minister Caspar Veldkamp’s lead, all NSC ministers left the cabinet on Friday.

The reason for the resignations was that Veldkamp of Foreign Affairs failed to convince his colleagues from the other coalition parties (VVD and BBB) during the ministers’ council. Veldkamp wanted to introduce new measures against Israel, but VVD and BBB opposed them. Veldkamp (former ambassador in Israel) then announced he would submit his resignation.

Second time the cabinet falls

The cabinet had already fallen on 3 June when the PVV walked out. So on Friday evening the cabinet actually fell for a second time with the NSC ministers withdrawing.

Education minister Eppo Bruins (OCW) is therefore one of the NSC ministers who resigned. The others are Eddy van Hijum (deputy prime minister and lead candidate), Judith Uitermark (interior affairs) and Daniëlle Jansen (since last June minister of Health). Four NSC state secretaries are also leaving.

Climate minister Hermans temporarily takes over

VVD and BBB put forward new ministers on Saturday. Bruins’s successor is Sophie Hermans (already minister of Climate and Green Growth). Hermans was number 2 on the VVD list in the previous elections, but this time she is eligible. She says she is available as a minister should the VVD return to government.

For years, Hermans was political assistant to VVD leader Mark Rutte. In 2017 she entered the House of Representatives for the liberals and five years later became parliamentary leader. She is the daughter of Loek Hermans, minister of OCW in the second ‘purple’ cabinet (1998-2002) of PvdA, VVD and D66.

The acting ministers have been appointed until successors are found. The announcement speaks of ‘temporary management’. It does not say how quickly the two remaining coalition parties expect to find new ministers. The elections are on 29 October and after that a new coalition must be formed. The Rutte IV cabinet continued in a caretaker capacity for almost a year.