UG professor of public institutions and governance Caspar van den Berg has decided to resign from his position as an Upper House member for the VVD party.
Van den Berg, who is also the chair of the umbrella organisation Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), explained in a letter to Upper House president Jan Anthonie Bruijn on Monday that the ‘time and dedication required for his primary role at UNL in the coming time’ would interfere with his duties as an Upper House member.
Van den Berg had been serving in the Upper House since January 2022 and took over as UNL chair on June 1 this year, succeeding UG President Jouke de Vries. Initially, he intended to combine both roles.
Devastating cuts
His decision to step down comes at a crucial time. Following Prinsjesdag, when new government policies are revealed, Van den Berg would likely have had to vote on significant education budget cuts proposed by the cabinet, which his own VVD is part of. UNL opposes these cuts, which Van den Berg has previously described as ‘devastating’.
At the opening of the alternative academic year, Van den Berg downplayed the conflict, saying, ‘Nothing is set in stone yet, and no decisions have been made. I will use every opportunity to mitigate the damage.’
However, he will now no longer have the opportunity to address this issue in the Upper House. Van den Berg will leave before the start of the new parliamentary year on Prinsjesdag.