News News••an average
The ministers and secretaries of state of the Schouw government were sworn in at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.
The ministers stood before King Willem-Alexander during the swearing-in ceremony. They then came forward one by one to say: “Help me, O God Almighty” or “This I declare and promise.”
Ministers may also answer in Frisian, the second national language. This has been done by the new Minister of Agriculture, Femke Wiersma, and State Secretary for Taxation and Customs, Fockert Idsinga.
Chouf government ministers take oath
This morning, Shaw signed the royal decrees for the first time:
Prime Minister Shaw signs royal decrees
The new government consists of 16 ministers and 13 secretaries of state. In addition to the non-partisan Prime Minister Schof, there are five ministers and four secretaries of state on behalf of the Freedom Party, four ministers and three secretaries of state on behalf of the Freedom Party, as well as four ministers and three secretaries of state on behalf of the National Security Council and two secretaries of state on behalf of the Freedom and Democracy Party. Ministers and three secretaries of state on behalf of the BBB.
The formation lasted 223 days. That’s a relatively long time, but not a record: the previous formation, Rutte’s fourth government, was only ready after 299 days.
After the oath was taken, a scene of the podium followed: the ministers and the king were photographed there.
Shortly after the celebrations at the palace, the new ministers and state secretaries headed to their ministries. Their predecessors had officially handed over the work there. Outgoing Prime Minister Rutte handed over the keys to the tower to the new Prime Minister Schoof.
Rutte gives the key to the tower to the new Prime Minister Schoof.
This afternoon is also the first cabinet meeting. In the near future, ministers will still have to develop the “mainline agreement” into a “government programme”. All four party leaders remain in the House of Representatives.
As usual, all ministers of the previous government, led by party member Mark Rutte, resigned “in a very honourable manner”. This government had been in place since January 10, 2022. It fell a year ago after a dispute over asylum policy. Rutte had been prime minister for almost fourteen years: he took office on October 14, 2010.