Home Secretary Hanke Bruins Slot’s bill says that going forward, current and former ministers must first seek advice from an advisory board when they change within their sector. “A good first step,” says the reporter and author of the book Lobbyland, Ariejan Korteweg.
However, MPs Omtzigt and Dassen would have preferred to see the lobbying ban tougher and supported a sanctioning rule for when the advisory body’s advice was not followed. Furthermore, both MPs would have liked an official to be appointed to check if what is happening is within the rules.
“Both MPs would therefore have liked to see the concept stricter on various points,” says Korteweg. ‘In fact it could have been a little stricter, but we should also be happy that something actually happens in the form of law. He’s taking a step his predecessors didn’t, and you should commend the minister for that. But I call this concept a beginning rather than an end.’
Korteweg points out that it is important to realize that this law will not apply to senior civil servants, while situations in those cases can be just as delicate as in the case of (former) ministers.
MPs
MPs still have carte blanche should they leave office. ‘That’s because it’s impossible for the cabinet to prescribe the law to MPs, our democracy just doesn’t work that way. A study was conducted two years ago on this matter and it was found that between 31 and 44 per cent of former MPs are in the lobbying and business sector. That is a lot, but any measure should come from the House itself. But they have to decide for themselves, so it’s complicated.’
Korteweg expects the concept will simply go through the House. “The bill comes from a CDA minister and therefore comes from the coalition, so you can assume it has been properly discussed with its coalition partners.”