Clear: apps released after De Jonge’s insistence, opposition angry

The WhatsApp messages about the face mask deal with Sywert van Lienden were released at the insistence of Minister Hugo de Jonge himself, after unrest had arisen about his role in this. That is what Minister Conny Helder, responsible for Long-term Care, says. The opposition, which has long asked for more information about the deal, calls this “problematic”.

“The documents have come to the House because Minister De Jonge has sent me a letter because he wants to explain his role at the moment,” says Helder in the debate. “In addition, these apps and emails were sent as underlying information.” She would rather have sent the information herself once Deloitte had completed an investigation into it.

This is unacceptable, according to GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver. The Chamber has the right to information that is requested. According to him, it is a strange form that the House does not receive this information about this, because an investigation by Deloitte is still ongoing, and the minister does share this at the request of a colleague minister.

SP member Maarten Hijink agrees. He concludes that “the cabinet does not take the constitutional role of the House” seriously. The House now receives a pile of documents that “obviously the minister has determined that this is the right time to send it to the House”.

THINK

According to DENK leader Farid Azarkan, Minister Helder violates the constitutional article that regulates the provision of information to the House of Representatives. Helder says there is no reluctance to comply with that article. In defense, she again points to the delayed Deloitte investigation.

She fears that publishing partial information that also belongs to Deloitte will have consequences for the investigation. She would be willing to send all documents that Deloitte has to the House. But, the minister warns: there are millions of pieces, and that might mean “we will never find out exactly how it went” with the deal.