Economy

Nathalie van Berkel, a member of the D66 party, has resigned from both her candidacy for state secretary of Finance and her seat in the Dutch Parliament, following revelations of inaccuracies in her curriculum vitae. The decision, announced Monday, comes as incoming Prime Minister Rob Jetten seeks to finalize his cabinet lineup before a planned swearing-in next week.

The controversy centers on Van Berkel’s claims regarding her educational background. Reports in De Volkskrant revealed that she had presented a master’s degree in public administration from Leiden University on her LinkedIn profile, a claim that was inaccurate. She holds a propedeuse – a preliminary certificate – in public administration from The Hague University of Applied Sciences but did not complete the admission process for the master’s program at Leiden. Multiple iterations of her CV and LinkedIn profiles had implied completion of a university degree.

When initially questioned by the media, Van Berkel provided differing explanations and updated her LinkedIn profile on three occasions, according to NL Times. Although D66 acknowledged internal awareness of her incomplete studies, De Telegraaf reported that she had as well provided inaccurate information to the General Administrative Service (ABD) during her application to join the Executive Board of the UWV, a Dutch employment insurance agency.

The opposition swiftly reacted to the unfolding situation. JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans publicly called for Van Berkel’s immediate withdrawal. Jetten emphasized the importance of credibility for ministers and state secretaries, particularly within a minority coalition government where securing support for legislation requires broad consensus. “We saw today that some opposition parties raised concerns, and that can hinder an effective role as state secretary,” he stated, as reported by NL Times.

Jetten described Van Berkel’s decision as “a brave and courageous one,” adding that it followed a joint discussion about the situation. He noted that Van Berkel had been transparent with D66 regarding her incomplete studies and had also disclosed this information in interviews. However, he acknowledged that this did not prevent the emergence of new questions and public outcry, according to NOS.

Van Berkel herself stated that the ensuing debate would distract from the important tasks facing the incoming cabinet. She emphasized that it was never her intention to misrepresent her qualifications. She has also announced her resignation from her seat in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch Parliament, believing she could no longer effectively fulfill that role given the circumstances, Vandaag Inside reported.

Jetten indicated he hopes to identify a new candidate for the position of state secretary of Finance this week. The planned swearing-in of the new cabinet remains scheduled for next Monday, though the search for a replacement introduces a new challenge in the final stages of government formation, NOS reported.