The Netherlands has nominated the current European Commissioner for Climate Protection for another term

Holandia nominowała obecnego europejskiego komisarza ds. ochrony klimatu na kolejną kadencję

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof informed the parliament that the government has decided to nominate its candidate for European Commissioner. This is Woepke Hoekstra, a Dutch politician who previously held the office of Commissioner for Climate Protection. The Dutch government would like their representative to remain in this position, reports European Truth.

“I have just nominated Wopke Hoekstra as a Commissioner in the new European Commission. This gives the Netherlands a strong candidate for a significant portfolio," said the head of the Dutch government, Dick Schoof.

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New old commissioner?

Wopke Hoekstra was already Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands from 2022 to 2023. However, he previously worked for the oil giant – Shell, for which he sought permits for new drilling. After the resignation of his compatriot Frans Timmermans, on October 5, 2023, he was elected EU Commissioner for Climate Protection.

This change was interpreted in Brussels as a softening of the EU's climate policy. Hoekstra was supposed to have a less radical approach to implementing the assumptions of the Green Deal. However, as an EU commissioner, he announced that he would maintain the EU's "green" course. However, he did not inspire confidence among either the Greens or conservatives in Brussels. Many accused him of acting conservatively as a politician and in fact having no views.