Dutch outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs Bas van ‘t Wout has a burnout. He is therefore resigning from his position for at least three months. It is exceptional for a top politician to admit that he has a burnout.
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Van ‘t Wout’s burnout sets off a musical chair dance from The Hague. Van ‘t Wout himself will be replaced immediately by Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok. He will in turn be replaced by Sigrid Kaag, D66 leader and Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, who is currently combining both functions.
The cabinet has announced that it is also looking for an extra State Secretary for Economic Affairs, due to the relatively large size of this portfolio. The new State Secretary will be responsible for the topics of climate and energy for the remaining period of the caretaker cabinet, and will be recruited from VVD circles.
Van ‘t Wout was only active as Minister of Economic Affairs for a relatively short time. He succeeded Eric Wiebes in January, after he had to step down due to the benefits affair. Before that he was State Secretary for Social Affairs, replacing Tamara van Ark. She moved on as Minister for Medical Care.
Before Van ‘t Wout joined the cabinet, he was vice-party chairman of the VVD. Previously, he was a councilor in Amsterdam and political assistant to Mark Rutte, the then State Secretary for Education.
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