CDA Member of Parliament Raymond Knops, secretary of state for home affairs and kingdom relations in the previous cabinet, is leaving national politics. He will become chairman of the board of the Dutch Defense and Security Industry (NIDV). With this passage, the former soldier returns, in his own words, to the ‘world of defense and security’.
Knops began his political career in 1998 as a councilor and later alderman in the municipality of Horst aan de Maas in Limburg. In 2005, he first came to the House of Representatives. He became Secretary of State in 2017 and also briefly held a ministerial post during Kajsa Ollongren’s sick leave. But there was no place for him in the new cabinet that took office last year.
Knops himself, who was campaign manager in the 2021 parliamentary election that was disappointing for the CDA, “definitely wanted to continue” as a minister or secretary of state. But: ‘that’s the way it is in life sometimes’. He also suggested that he would be fired because otherwise there would not be enough women in the cabinet, but those directly involved in forming the cabinet contradicted him.
Other insights
Knops had previously announced this would be his last stint in politics. After 17 years in The Hague, he now thinks it’s time for something different. “I’ve been there much longer than the average member of parliament, and it’s also good not to spend your whole life in politics and get different insights every now and then.”
The fact that Knops will not complete his term as a Member of Parliament is mainly due to the great opportunity that has now presented itself. “This is something that suits me very well. I have given my contribution over the years and now I will do it in a different place. I will work elsewhere with the same enthusiasm».
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
