The Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra is to become the new EU Commissioner and replace Frans Timmermans, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced.
The Cabinet would decide on the nomination on Friday, but what portfolio the politician would take on in Brussels is still unclear.
The EU Commission still had to approve the nomination.
Hoekstra was the Dutch foreign minister and deputy prime minister since 2022.
Before that, he was working as finance minister.
It was still unknown who would replace him as foreign minister.
“He is very experienced in financial and foreign policy,” Rutte said, explaining his choice.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Hoekstra earned the resentment of southern European member states because of his harsh words about their budgetary policies.
However, this conflict had been resolved, Rutte said.
Timmermans is the leading candidate of the new election alliance between his Labour Party and the Greens for the early parliamentary elections in the Netherlands in November.
During his almost 10 years in Brussels, the Dutch politician was responsible, among other things, for the Green Deal, the EU’s flagship policy to mitigate climate change.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen decided to appoint European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič to takeover Timmermans Green Deal portfolio, and temporarily his climate action policy responsibilities.
