News item | 23-12-2022 | 18:54
Former ministers who want to start working in the business community within two years of their term of office must request advice from an independent committee. This is stated in a bill by Minister Hanke Bruins Slot (Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations) that will go into consultation today. The obligation to provide advice applies specifically to a new position in a policy area in which the former minister has been intensively involved as a minister or state secretary. The bill also stipulates that former ministers may not work as lobbyists in the same policy areas, and that they may not be employed by their former ministry or carry out paid assignments for two years.
Hanke Bruins Slot: “This bill clarifies the rules that a minister must take into account if he or she wants to continue his or her career. This is important because we need expert people from the field. On the other hand, this bill also makes it clear to society that this is being done carefully.”
Mandatory advice on new job
The bill contains a two-year cooling-off period in which former ministers are obliged to ask for advice on whether they may accept a new, paid position as director or lobbyist. This must be done if a former minister wants to work in the private sector, with a health insurer or with an implementer of the Long-Term Care Act (Wlz) and if the position affects a policy area in which the former minister has been intensively involved.
The independent Advisory Board on the Legal Status of Political Office Holders will carry out this advisory task. The Advisory Board will then issue one of the following three recommendations within two weeks: ‘no objection’, ‘acceptable under further conditions’ or ‘unacceptable due to (excessive risk of) conflict of interest’. If the former minister accepts the job in question, the advice will be published on the Advisory Board’s website within two weeks.
Lobby ban
Until November 2021, former ministers were not allowed to lobby for two years at the ministry for which the minister concerned was responsible. This existing lobbying ban was expanded in November 2021 to include policy areas that fall under other ministries and with which the minister was actively involved during his term of office. With this new bill, the prohibition on lobbying is also laid down in law.
The lobbying ban applies, just like the obligation to provide advice, for positions in the private sector, at a health insurer or at an administrator of the Long-Term Care Act (Wlz).
Revolving door ban
The revolving door ban means that former ministers are not allowed to join the former ministry for two years. They are also not allowed to accept paid, commercial assignments from their former ministry. This bill also lays down the revolving door ban in law.