Eddy van Hijum | |
|---|---|
 Van Hijum in 2020 | |
| Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
| In office 3 June 2025 – 22 August 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Dick Schoof |
| Preceded by | Sophie Hermans |
| Succeeded by | Mona Keijzer |
| Third Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
| In office 2 July 2024 – 3 June 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Dick Schoof |
| Preceded by | Carola Schouten |
| Succeeded by | Mona Keijzer |
| Minister of Social Affairs and Employment | |
| In office 2 July 2024 – 22 August 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Dick Schoof |
| Preceded by | Karien van Gennip |
| Succeeded by | Mariëlle Paul |
| Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport | |
| In office 4 June 2025 – 19 June 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Dick Schoof |
| Preceded by | Fleur Agema |
| Succeeded by | Daniëlle Jansen |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
| In office 2 September 2025 – 11 November 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Diederik Boomsma |
| In office 6 December 2023 – 2 July 2024 | |
| Succeeded by | Ilse Saris |
| In office 2 September 2003 – 11 November 2014 | |
| Succeeded by | Martijn van Helvert |
| Member of theProvincial Executive ofOverijssel | |
| In office 12 November 2014 – 12 July 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yde Johan van Hijum (1972-04-17)17 April 1972 (age 53) Delft, Netherlands |
| Political party | NSC (since 2023) |
| Other political affiliations | CDA (1989–2023) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Twente (PhD) |
| Signature |  |
Yde Johan "Eddy"van Hijum (born 17 April 1972) is a Dutch politician. He was member of theHouse of Representatives from 2003 until 2014 on behalf of theChristian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He switched to the Christian democraticNew Social Contract, and he again served as a member of parliament between December 2023 and July 2024 and between September 2025 and November 2025. He wasminister of social affairs and employment and deputy prime minister in theSchoof cabinet between 2024 and 2025.
Van Hijum studied civil engineering management at theUniversity of Twente, and he served in the municipal council ofZwolle between 1998 and 2003.[1][2] As a member of theChristian Democratic Appeal, he was a member of theHouse of Representatives from 2 September 2003 until 11 November 2014. He focused on matters ofsocial security,income policy,dismissal law,labor participation policy andday care. He was invested as a Knight of theOrder of Orange-Nassau upon his departure from the House.[3]
Between 12 November 2014 and 12 July 2023, Van Hijum served as member of theprovincial executive ofOverijssel. He held the portfolio of Economy, Energy and Innovation.[4] In the House of Representatives he was replaced byMartijn van Helvert.[5] He served in theStates of Overijssel from 26 March 2015 to 20 May 2015.[2]
In August 2023, Van Hijum announced that he had joinedNew Social Contract (NSC), the political party founded by fellow former CDA memberPieter Omtzigt, and would head the committee responsible for writing the party's manifesto ahead of the2023 general election.[6] Following his election to the House, Van Hijum assisted Omtzigt intalks to form a new governing coalition.[7] He served as the NSC's spokesperson for finances andmonetary policy, and he proposed the creation of a budget review body that would advise the House, similar to the AmericanCongressional Budget Office.[8][9]
After thePVV,VVD, NSC, andBBB formed theSchoof 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 succeededKarien van Gennip.[1][10]
Van Hijum was tasked with facilitating talks between unions andemployers' associations to create a permanentearly retirement scheme for workers in physically demanding occupations. A temporary scheme neared expiration, and earlier negotiations about its extension had stalled.[11] 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.[12] 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 incollective bargaining agreements.[13][14]
In September 2024,EenVandaag and theAlgemeen Dagblad revealed that spot checks within theEmployee 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. Asimilar scandal concerning childcare benefits had resulted in the resignation of thethird Rutte cabinet in 2022.[15][16][17]
After thePVV quit theSchoof cabinet Eddy van Hijum was temporarily appointedMinister of Health, Welfare and Sport combining this with his tasks as Minister for Social Affairs and Employment.[18] After two weeks of discussions between the remaining coalition partners VVD, NSC and BBBDaniëlle Jansen (NSC) was appointed as his permanent successor on the 19th of June 2025.[19] Van Hijum resigned on 22 August 2025, when NSC left the Schoof cabinet, and he was sworn into the House of Representatives on 2 September.[2] His term ended on 11 November 2025, followinga general election.[20]
 |
| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2002 | House of Representatives | Christian Democratic Appeal | 50/55[a] | 408 | 43 | Lost | [21] | |
| 2003 | 53 | 247 | 44 | Lost[b] | [22] | |||
| 2006 | 20 | 1,422 | 41 | Won | [23] | |||
| 2010 | 14 | 1,142 | 21 | Won | [24] | |||
| 2012 | 6 | 2,719 | 13 | Won | [25] | |||
| 2023 | New Social Contract | 6 | 3,457 | 20 | Won | [26] | ||
| 2025 | 1 | 22,066 | 0 | Lost | [27] | |||
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Social Affairs and Employment 2024–2025 | |
| Preceded by | Deputy Prime Minister 2024–2025 Served alongside:Fleur Agema,Sophie Hermans, andMona Keijzer | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
