Eddy van Hijum

In this Dutch name, the surname is Van Hijum, not Hijum.
Eddy van Hijum
Van Hijum in 2020
Third Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2024
Prime MinisterDick Schoof
Preceded byCarola Schouten
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2024
Prime MinisterDick Schoof
Preceded byKarien van Gennip
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
6 December 2023 – 2 July 2024
Succeeded byIlse Saris
In office
2 September 2003 – 11 November 2014
Member of the Provincial Executive of Overijssel
In office
12 November 2014 – 12 July 2023
Personal details
Born
Yde Johan van Hijum

(1972-04-17) 17 April 1972 (age 52)
Delft, Netherlands
Political partyNSC (2023–present)
Other political
affiliations		CDA (1989–2023)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Twente

Yde Johan "Eddy" van Hijum (born 17 April 1972) is a Dutch politician who has served as the minister of social affairs and employment and third deputy prime minister in the Schoof cabinet[1] since 2024.

Political career

Van Hijum studied civil engineering management at the University of Twente, and he served in the municipal council of Zwolle between 1998 and 2003.[2][3] As a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal, he was a member of the House of Representatives from 2 September 2003 until 11 November 2014. He focused on matters of social security, income policy, dismissal law, labor participation policy and day care. He was invested as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau upon his departure from the House.[4]

Between 12 November 2014 and 12 July 2023, Van Hijum served as member of the provincial executive of Overijssel. He held the portfolio of Economy, Energy and Innovation.[5] In the House of Representatives he was replaced by Martijn van Helvert.[6] He served in the States of Overijssel from 26 March 2015 to 20 May 2015.[3]

In August 2023, Van Hijum announced that he had joined New Social Contract (NSC), the political party founded by fellow former CDA member Pieter Omtzigt, and would head the committee responsible for writing the party's manifesto ahead of the 2023 general election.[7] Following his election to the House, Van Hijum assisted Omtzigt in talks to form a new governing coalition.[8] He served as the NSC's spokesperson for finances and monetary policy, and he proposed the creation of a budget review body that would advise the House, similar to the American Congressional Budget Office.[9][10]

Minister of Social Affairs and Employment

After the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB formed the Schoof cabinet, Van Hijum was sworn in as Third Deputy Prime Minister and as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment on 2 July 2024. In the latter position, he succeeded Karien van Gennip.[2][11]

Van Hijum was tasked with facilitating talks between unions and employers' associations to create a permanent early retirement scheme for workers in physically demanding occupations. A temporary scheme neared expiration, and earlier negotiations about its extension had stalled.[12] Unions organized strikes, and they rejected Van Hijum's initial proposal, which included €250 in additional tax-favorable monthly payments to bridge the three years until retirement, a maximum yearly income, and a cap on the amount of participants.[13] An agreement was reached in October 2024 on a scheme that was described as more generous than its predecessor. It offered up to €300 in additional payments, and it did not include an income cap. While aiming to keep new participants below 15,000 annually, no strict limit was set, and sectors would have to define physically demanding occupations in collective bargaining agreements.[14][15]

In September 2024, EenVandaag and the Algemeen Dagblad revealed that spot checks within the Employee Insurance Agency [nl] (UWV) had shown that a significant portion of occupational disability benefit recipients had received either too high or too low payments. The reporting concluded that the organization's leadership had ignored these signals since at least 2020 and that quality control had been scaled back instead. The UWV disclosed that 25,000–50,000 of the 200,000 recipients were affected, and Van Hijum pledged to establish a new department to oversee the rectification process. A similar scandal concerning childcare benefits had resulted in the resignation of the third Rutte cabinet in 2022.[16][17][18]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Eddy van Hijum
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2002 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 50/55[a] 408 43 Lost [19]
2003 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 53 247 44 Lost[b] [20]
2006 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 20 1,422 41 Won [21]
2010 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 14 1,142 21 Won [22]
2012 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 6 2,719 13 Won [23]
2023 House of Representatives New Social Contract 6 3,457 20 Won [24]

Notes

  1. ^ Van Hijum was his party's 50th candidate in electoral district 4 (Overijssel) and his party's 55th candidate in districts 8 (Utrecht), 17 (western North Brabant), 18 (eastern North Brabant), and 19 (Limburg). He was not on the ballot in all others.
  2. ^ Van Hijum was appointed to the body later during the term due to a vacancy.

References

  1. ^ Borgerink, Rutger (2024-07-02). "Eddy van Hijum beëdigd als minister: "Samenwerken met PVV had ik ook niet verwacht"". www.rtvoost.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  2. ^ a b "Omtzigt-vertrouweling Van Hijum wordt minister van Sociale Zaken" [Van Hijum, confidant of Omtzigt, will become Minister of Social Affairs]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Dr. Y.J. (Eddy) van Hijum" (in Dutch). Parlement.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Lintje voor vertrekkend CDA-Kamerlid Eddy van Hijum" (in Dutch). House of Representatives. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Eddy Van Hijum gedeputeerde Economie, Energie en Innovatie" (in Dutch). Province of Overijssel. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Martijn van Helvert nieuw Tweede Kamerlid voor het CDA" (in Dutch). Parlement.com. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Voormalig gedeputeerde Van Hijum (CDA) sluit aan bij Omtzigt: "Moest wel even nadenken"". RTV Oost (in Dutch). 21 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  8. ^ Den Hartog, Tobias; Peer, Wouter (8 February 2024). "NSC voelt zich 'naar de uitgang geduwd' en vertrouwt niet op financiële degelijkheid BBB en PVV" [NSC feels pushed out and does not trust the financial soundness of BBB and PVV]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Woordvoerderschappen Nieuw Sociaal Contract" [New Social Contract spokespersonships] (PDF). New Social Contract (in Dutch). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ De Horde, Cor; Wolzak, Marine (19 May 2024). "Tweede Kamer werkt aan eigen rekenkamer bij komst nieuw kabinet" [House of Representatives prepares establishment of own court of audit upon swearing in of new cabinet]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd" [Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in]. NOS (in Dutch). 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Kabinet: vroegpensioen zware beroepen bespreekbaar, ook signaal naar stakende agenten" [Cabinet: Early retirement physically demanding occupations open to discussion, also a message to striking police officers]. NOS (in Dutch). 30 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  13. ^ Bolsius, Roel (11 September 2024). "Onderhandelingen vroegpensioen in impasse, voorlopig nog stakingen" [Negotiations about early retirement scheme stall, strikes for the foreseeable future]. NOS (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  14. ^ Pelgrim, Christiaan (18 October 2024). "Voor een akkoord over vroegpensioen hebben de vakbonden veel concessies moeten doen" [Unions had to make many concessions to come to an agreement about early retirement]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  15. ^ Von Piekartz, Hessel (18 October 2024). "Akkoord over vroegpensioenregeling voor zware beroepen" [Agreement about early retirement scheme for physically demand occupations]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  16. ^ Bokdam, Julia (4 September 2024). "Crisis bij UWV: tienduizenden uitkeringen na jaren aangepast wegens fouten" [Crisis at UWV: Tens of thousands of benefits years later adjusted because of mistakes]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Mogelijk 50.000 mensen geraakt door fouten van UWV, 'een fors aantal'" [Potentially 50,000 people affected by mistakes by the UWV, 'a significant number']. BNR Nieuwsradio (in Dutch). 22 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  18. ^ Schiffers, Hugo (26 November 2024). "Heeft de Kamer vertrouwen in de hersteloperatie bij het UWV?" [Does parliament trust the rectification operation at the UWV?]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Proces-verbaal zitting uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2002" [Records meeting Duch Electoral Council results 2002 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 15 May 2002. pp. 49, 53, and 66. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Proces-verbaal zitting Kiesraad uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2003" [Records meeting Duch Electoral Council results 2003 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 22 January 2003. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Proces-verbaal zitting Kiesraad uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2006" [Records meeting Duch Electoral Council results 2006 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 27 November 2006. pp. 18–19. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2010" [Results 2010 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 16 June 2010. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2012" [Results 2012 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 17 September 2012. pp. 64–65. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 185–186. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
2024–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister
2024–present
Served alongside: Fleur Agema, Sophie Hermans, and Mona Keijzer