Former NCTV boss Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg: Minister De Jonge questioned his own department

The Ministry of Health was overloaded and not alert enough at the start of the crisis. Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, then National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security, said this on Friday afternoon to the parliamentary inquiry committee that is investigating corona policy.

Aalbersberg was present at the most crucial meetings during the pandemic, especially the informal meetings in the Torentje and in the Catshuis of which no minutes were taken. According to Aalbersberg, it was important that those involved could discuss in an informal setting, because they had to work intensively together and manage the crisis. Four ministers were almost always present: the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Health, Medical Care and Justice.

After much insistence, Aalbersberg acknowledged that Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health, CDA) was questioning his own department with his “daily ideas”. Parliament also did this by holding debates late into the night. He said he hopes that the committee can provide advice on this to prevent this in the next crisis. “Officials were worn out.”