Former Foreign Minister and aspiring EU Climate Chief Wopke Hoekstra is facing mounting criticism after it was revealed that the foreign ministry went out of its way to silence any criticism of Qatar before and during the FIFA World Cup in the country last year, Trouw reported on Friday.
Hoekstra, who will be grilled on his climate credentials by the European Parliament on Monday, served as foreign minister in the fourth cabinet of Mark Rutte from 2022 until last July, when the cabinet fell due to squabbles over migration policy.
Hoekstra’s ambitions to silence criticism led to clashes with the Education Ministry, which cooperated with Foreign Affairs to guarantee the safety of Dutch visitors to the World Cup.
Hoekstra’s veto on mentioning the dangers of visiting Qatar for LGBTQ+ individuals in a parliamentary letter about the human rights situation in the country – mainly due to fears of deteriorating business ties – irked the Education Ministry, as did Hoekstra refraining from asking Qatar not to prosecute Dutch LGBTQ+ individuals during the World Cup.
The Dutch cabinet also bypassed a parliamentary resolution calling for a boycott of the World Cup by government officials due to the country’s importance during last year’s energy crisis. Sports Minister Conny Helder (VVD/Renew) represented the country in Qatar.
“We all knew that gross human rights violations were taking place there. That’s why we tabled the motion. Now we see how the ministry bypassed that and sent a minister anyway,” Dutch lawmaker Jasper van Dijk (SP/EU Left) told radio station BNR following the revelations.
“The Parliament was already against it, but now it turns out that other ministries also had a clear message about it. That was simply pushed off the table by Foreign Affairs,” he added, stating that Hoekstra did “anything to spare Qatar because of trade interests”.
The EU’s relations with the Gulf monarchy have taken a hit in the wake of last year’s Qatargate scandal when it became known that Qatar had influenced several MEPs to lobby in its favour in the European Parliament.
Hoekstra himself had touted the Netherlands’ good relations with Qatar, discussing topics such as the Ukraine war or global energy security with the country’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani back in January.
Human rights organisations also did not spare Hoekstra from criticism.
“A shocking picture of a cabinet that does not take human rights seriously. Hoekstra did not stand up for the safety of LGBT people, and […] also remained far too quiet on migrant workers’ rights,” Amnesty International NL posted on X.
Van Dijk stated that he will interrogate outgoing Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot (CDA/EPP) about the ministry’s actions in parliament on Tuesday (3 October).
(Benedikt Stöckl | Euractiv.com)
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