News item | 01-12-2025 | 3:00 PM
The Rijksontmoetingsplein in Middelburg will open its doors on December 1, 2025. The ROP is located within walking distance of Middelburg station in the building where Rijkswaterstaat and the Tax Authorities are also housed. With this opening, the government is further expanding the national network of government meeting places.
This location is the tenth government meeting square (ROP) in the national network of meeting places for government employees and strengthens the visibility and proximity of the government in Zeeland. It offers an inspiring place where colleagues from within and outside the government can meet, discuss and collaborate. National meeting places are part of the government’s approach, together with provinces and regions, to strengthen the visibility and proximity of the government. The added value for the region is that government employees who live in Zeeland can more easily meet with colleagues from outside Zeeland in Middelburg; The ROP also strengthens cooperation between employees of the national government, provinces and municipalities. When designing the ROP, a mix of work and meeting places was chosen: meeting places at tables and in a lounge area with sofas and armchairs, standard office work places, call boxes, landing places to work with your laptop for a short period of time and a spacious meeting room.
The opening will be performed by the mayor of Middelburg Yvonne van Mastrigt, the King’s Commissioner in Zeeland Hugo de Jonge and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Frank Rijkaart.
A special part of the opening is the unveiling of the artwork Mare – Zeeland 2025 by the Zeeland artist Rem van den Bosch. This work of art symbolizes the joint ambition of the region and the government to build a future-proof Zeeland. The statue depicts a young woman who represents the new generations and contains elements that refer to climate adaptation, energy transition and cooperation.
With this ROP, the central government is expanding its network and taking the next step in cooperation between governments. Other government meeting squares have now been opened in Assen, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Den Bosch and Eindhoven, among others. In Lelystad, the ROP is housed in the provincial government building. Depending on the experiences with the current government meeting squares, further expansion will take place in the coming years to ultimately 15 to 20 locations spread across the Netherlands.
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Frank Rijkaart: “With the government meeting square in Middelburg we are increasing the opportunities for people to live in Zeeland and work for the government. I invite provincial and municipal officials to find their way to the government meeting square. Make an appointment with government officials. Then the government meeting square is more than just a facility for the government. Then it connects us: the region and the government!”
King’s Commissioner in Zeeland Hugo de Jonge: “With this National Meeting Square, we are literally bringing the national government a little closer to Zeeland. This is something I have been working on as a Minister. Good governance requires proximity: being able to meet each other, listen to each other, work together. With this we continue to build on that connection. Because Zeeland not only needs the national government, but the national government certainly also needs Zeeland.”
Mayor of Middelburg Yvonne van Mastrigt: “Middelburg has a rich history as an administrative center in Zeeland. The city has been an important ecclesiastical and administrative center since the tenth century, with the abbey as the seat of the regional government.
In 1217, Middelburg was granted city rights, further strengthening its role as a regional capital and place for government institutions. From today, a new chapter can be added to this history as an administrative city with the government meeting square.”