NETHERLANDS: BALKENENDE IV CABINET SWORN IN

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000325 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UBI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: BALKENENDE IV CABINET SWORN IN REF: A. THE HAGUE 282 ¶B. POLITICS IN THE NETHERLANDS - FEBRUARY 14 ¶1. The cabinet of the new center-left Dutch coalition government of Christian Democrats (CDA),Social Democrats (PvdA),and Christian Union (CU) was sworn in by Queen Beatrix on February 22. CDA leader Jan Peter Balkenende remains Prime Minister; this is the fourth government led by Balkenende. PvdA leader Wouter Bos and CU leader Andre Rouvoet are now deputy Prime Ministers as Minister of Finance and Minister for Youth and Family Affairs, respectively. The new coalition was formed 91 days following the general elections in November, which is slightly longer than average (72 days since WWII). The first official cabinet meeting will take place on February 23, while Parliament will discuss the new cabinet's government statement on March 1. For more biographic information on the ministers, please see refs. ¶2. Of the 16 ministers and 11 state-secretary positions, CDA received eight minister and four state-secretary appointments. PvdA garnered six minister and five state-secretary positions,while CU has two minister and one state-secretary slots. There are five women ministers and six women state-secretaries. For the first time, two Muslims have been appointed to the Cabinet, with Ahmed Aboutaleb and Nebahat Albayrak from PvdA assuming state-secretary positions. -------------- Ministers -------------- ¶3. The 16 new Dutch ministers are: Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA) - Prime Minister Wouter Bos (PvdA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Andre Rouvoet (CU) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Youth and Family Affairs Maxime Verhagen (CDA) - Foreign Minister Bert Koenders (PvdA) - Development Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA) - Justice Minister Guusje ter Horst (PvdA) - Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Plasterk (PvdA) Minister of Education, Culture, and Science Eimert van Middelkoop (CU) - Minister of Defense Jacqueline Cramer (PvdA) - Minister of Environment Ella Vogelaar (PvdA) - Minister of Integration and Urban Renewal Camiel Eurlings (CDA) - Minister of Transport, public Works and Water Management Maria van der Hoeven (CDA) - Minister of Economic Affairs Gerda Verburg (CDA) - Minister of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality Piet Hein Donner (CDA) - Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Ab Klink (CDA) - Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports -------------- Deputy Ministers (State-Secretaries) -------------- ¶4. Per refs, there has been one change regarding the State-Secretary postings: Tineke Huizinga-Heringa from the Christian Union replaces her party colleague Benne van Popta. The 11 new Deputy Ministers/State-Secretaries are: Ahmed Aboutaleb (PvdA) - State-Secretary for Social Affairs Sharon Dijksma (PvdA) - State-Secretary for Education Frans Timmermans (PvdA) - State-Secretary for European Affairs Nebahat Albayrak (PvdA) - State-Secretary of Justice Jet Bussemaker (PvdA) - State-Secretary of Health Frans Heemskerk (PvdA) - State-Secretary of Foreign Trade Marja van Bijsterveldt (CDA) - State-Secretary of Education Jan Kees de Jager (CDA) - State-Secretary of Education Cees van der Knaap (CDA) - State-Secretary of Defense Ank Bijleveld (CDA) - State-Secretary of Home Affairs Tineke Huizinga-Heringa (CU) - State-Secretary of Transport BLAKEMAN