Dutch government names replacement for Timmermans

Bert Koenders leaves UN mission in Mali to replace Frans Timmermans, who is to become a member of the college of European commissioners.

Bert Koenders is to replace Frans Timmermans as the Dutch foreign affairs minister. He will officially start his new role on Friday (17 October), the government announced today.

Timmermans, who has been named as first vice-president in the next Commission, with responsibility for better regulation, inter-institutional relations, the rule of law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, will leave his job in the Dutch government on Friday.

Koenders, 56, was development co-operation minister in 2007-10, and was the frontrunner to replace Timmermans. The two coalition parties, the centre-right VVD and the centre-left PvdA, are believed to have agreed on the appointment weeks ago, but made the announcement today.

Koenders is a member of the centre-left Labour party, as is Timmermans. Since May 2013 Koenders has served as head of the UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission (MINUSMA) in Mali, and before that he was the UN’s secretary-general’s special representative and head of the UN operation in the Ivory Coast.

He was a member of the national parliament for ten years (1997-2007) and worked as an adviser at the European Commission (1995-97) dealing with foreign affairs, conflict prevention and expansion of the EU. Before that he was political adviser (1993-94) for the UN in Mozambique, South Africa and Mexico.