Former Dutch Deputy PM nominated to continue as EU Commissioner

The Hague, July 24 (IANS) Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has announced the nomination of former Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra to continue as a commissioner in the new European Commission.
In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the President-elect of the European Commission, Schoof expressed the Dutch government’s strong support for Hoekstra’s continuation in the role, Xinhua news agency reported.”Looking ahead at the composition of the new Commission, the Dutch government would like to propose to maintain Wopke Hoekstra as Commissioner for the mandate 2024-2029,” he wrote on Tuesday.Hoekstra succeeded Frans Timmermans as European Commissioner for Climate Action last year after Timmermans returned to the Netherlands to lead the Green-Left-Labour alliance.Last week, von der Leyen received approval from the European Parliament for a new term and is now in the process of forming the new European Commission.According to Dutch media reports, it remains unclear which portfolio Hoekstra will receive in the new European Commission, though the Netherlands has shown a strong preference for a financial-economic post.Hoekstra’s experience as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2022 aligns well with this preference. Additionally, he has also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister.The specific portfolio for Hoekstra will be determined in August.–IANSint/khz