Draaideurconstructie
Revolving door construction
A revolving door arrangement is an arrangement whereby a person, upon leaving public office, immediately transitions to a related position in the private sector, or vice versa.
The revolving door phenomenon refers to the situation in which former civil servants, ministers or politicians accept a position with a company or organisation that fell under their former supervision or influence immediately after leaving public office. This may give rise to conflicts of interest, as insider knowledge or networks derived from the public role are deployed in the private sector.
Its relevance lies in safeguarding the integrity of public administration and preventing unfair competition or undue influence. In the Netherlands, the phenomenon is regulated by the Political Office Holders (Supervision) Act and associated integrity rules, which prescribe a cooling-off period.
In practice, the phenomenon arises where former members of the government join the boards of directors of large companies, which may raise questions as to possible breaches of integrity standards or lobbying prohibitions.
“The former minister was accused of employing a revolving door arrangement by joining the supervisory board of a company he had previously regulated immediately after stepping down from office.”
Need legal advice?
Schedule a free consultation with one of our specialists