Unfortunately, another former minister has been fished out of the rolodex | Columns

Matty van Wijnbergen

It was one of the characteristic political moments during Balkenende IV, the fighting cabinet that ruled from 2007 to 2010. D66 leader Alexander Pechtold stood at the interruption microphone with a stack of advisory reports, when the coalition of CDA, PvdA and CU had decided to put official committees to work to come up with policy proposals. But the advice was already there, said Pechtold, pointing to the pile of reports. “Shall I put a staple through it?”