Eelco Heinen

• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
• University of Amsterdam

Eelco Heinen
Heinen in 2024
Minister of Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 July 2024

Eelco Heinen (born 27 April 1981) is a Dutch politician serving since 2 July 2024 as the Minister of Finance. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he held a seat in the House of Representatives between March 2021 and July 2024, and he previously worked as a party staffer.

Early life and career

He was born in 1981 in the North Holland town Laren and studied computer science at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences from 1998 until 2002. Heinen subsequently studied economics at the University of Amsterdam. After he graduated with a Master of Science degree in macroeconomics in 2005, he did another master's in international relations. He became a policy officer at the Ministry of Finance in 2007. ^[1]

Between 2011 and 2014, Heinen worked as senior finance policy advisor for the VVD's House caucus and was promoted to political secretary and head of policy in the latter year. ^{[2] [3]} He had joined the VVD in 2006. ^[4] He served as a member of the campaign team for the 2017 election and also helped write the election program. ^{[3] [5]}

House of Representatives

Heinen – then also political assistant of MP Klaas Dijkhoff – ran for member of parliament in the 2021 general election, being placed twelfth on the VVD's party list. ^[6] He was again member of the campaign team and of the election program committee. ^{[7] [8]} He was elected, receiving 679 preference votes, and he was sworn in as House member on 31 March. ^[9] Heinen's specialties were government budget, European and international monetary policy, financial markets, financial supervision, state participation, government expenditure, macroeconomic policy, European economic policy, and National Growth Fund, and he was on the Committees for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, European Affairs, Finance, and Public Expenditure. ^{[1] [10]} When prices of petrol were on the rise, Heinen proposed to bring a planned increase in the tax-exempt traveling allowance forward in time. ^[11] He also complained about spending by the cabinet without the House's approval. The cabinet has this power in case of a crisis, but Heinen decried their repeated use of the provision. ^[12] He later filed an amendment to only allow usage if the House agreed with the cabinet's reasoning of necessity. ^[13]

When the fourth Rutte cabinet collapsed in July 2023 – triggering a snap election in November – Heinen became the VVD's campaign leader. ^[14] Following the election, Heinen remained the VVD's spokesperson for finances and macroeconomic policy (excluding taxation). ^[15] Furthermore, he assisted party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz alongside Sophie Hermans in talks to form a new governing coalition between the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB. ^[16]

Minister of Finance

Heinen was sworn in as Minister of Finance in the resulting Schoof cabinet on 2 July 2024, succeeding Steven van Weyenberg. ^{[17] [18]} The cabinet's proposal for the 2025 Netherlands budget was presented by Heinen in September 2024, and it would result in a projected budget deficit of 2.5% of GDP. Referring to past low interest rates, Heinen declared that the "time of free money is really over," using this shift to justify the proposal's budget cuts. ^[19] A Trouw article subsequently mentioned that Heinen presented himself as a "strict guardian of the treasury" and that he helped the VVD return to its traditional liberal economic values. ^[20]

In November 2024, Nora Achahbar stepped down as state secretary, reportedly due to remarks she considered offensive, radical, and potentially racist during a Council of Ministers meeting following attacks in Amsterdam targeting supporters of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. Her resignation triggered crisis talks that ultimately averted a cabinet collapse. ^[21] One particular comparison about antisemitism being more stubborn than a pustule, supposedly made by Heinen, was among those circulating in the media. In response, Heinen stated that he was furious and that he did not recognize himself in the reports. ^{[22] [23]}

Heinen has advocated for the further integration of capital markets in the European Union (EU) to increase private investments, calling it the continent's only way to stir economic growth. He has been critical of Eurobonds, proposed government bonds jointly issued by member states, arguing that they would lead to higher debts, low growth, and protectionism. ^[24]

Personal life

Heinen has a Spanish wife called Inés, and they have two sons. ^[25] He is a resident of The Hague. ^[1]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Eelco Heinen

Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Result		Ref.
						Party seats	Individual
2021	House of Representatives		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	12	679	34	Won	[26]
2023	House of Representatives		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	7	3,159	24	Won	[27]

References

1. "Eelco Heinen". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal . 31 March 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
2. "Drs.ing. E. (Eelco) Heinen". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
3. Vrijsen, Eric (4 February 2017). "Achter de schermen van de VVD" [Behind the scenes at the VVD]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 73, no. 5. p. 24.
4. "Biografie, onderwijs en loopbaan van Eelco Heinen" [Biography, education, and career of Eelco Heinen]. Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
5. "Zeker Nederland" [Certain Netherlands](PDF). VVD (in Dutch). 16 December 2016. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
6. Du Pré, Raoul (1 December 2020). "Rutte gaat met vrouwenkopgroep de campagne in" [Rutte enters the campagne with a leading group of women]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 March 2021.
7. Van Steenbergen, Enzo; De Koning, Petra (14 March 2021). "Hoe team-Rutte de term 'Rutte-doctrine' liet verdwijnen" [How Rutte's team made the term Rutte doctrine disappear]. nrc.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
8. Korteweg, Ariejan (25 August 2020). "Hoe de coronacrisis de partijprogramma's vormt: zowel links als rechts is nu voor een sterkere overheid" [How the corona crisis is shaping election programs: both left and right support a strong government]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
9. "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 17 maart 2021" [Results general election 17 March 2021](PDF). Kiesraad (in Dutch). 26 March 2021. p. 185. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
10. "Eelco Heinen". VVD (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 August 2021.
11. Brandsema, Leon (22 March 2022). "Poging om pijn aan de pomp te verlichten: Kamer wil sneller hogere kilometervergoeding" [Attempt to ease the pain at the pump: House wants higher traveling allowance earlier]. De Limburger . Retrieved 29 April 2022.
12. De Horde, Cor (9 June 2022). "Tweede Kamer eist meer controle op uitgaven" [House of Representatives demand more control over spending]. FD (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
13. De Horde, Cor (31 May 2023). "Kabinet kritisch over inperken noodroute voor uitgaven" [Cabinet critical of confining emergency route for spending]. FD (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
14. Joosten, Carla (29 July 2023). "VVD wil zaken doen met PVV" [VVD wants to do business with PVV]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 79, no. 30. p. 25.
15. "Portefeuilleverdeling" [Portfolio allocation]. People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (in Dutch). 19 December 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
16. Vrijsen, Eric (30 January 2024). "Gedogen blijkt blunder: kan Yeşilgöz de zaak nog redden?" [Supporting seems to be a mistake: Will Yeşilgöz be able to save the situation?]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2024.
17. "Heinen gaat namens de VVD de hand op de knip houden" [Heinen will be tightening the purse strings on behalf of the VVD]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
18. "Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd" [Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in]. NOS (in Dutch). 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
19. "Heinen bij aanbieden Miljoenennota: tijd van gratis geld is voorbij" [Heinen offers Budget Memorandum: Time of free money is over]. NOS (in Dutch). 17 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
20. Markus, Niels (4 October 2024). "Onder Schoof is het neoliberalisme weer helemaal terug" [Under Schoof, neoliberalism is fully back]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 October 2024.
21. Hendrickx, Frank; Du Pré, Raoul (15 November 2024). "Integratiedebat brengt verdeeld kabinet-Schoof aan het wankelen" [Integration debate causes divided Schoof cabinet to shake]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
22. De Haan, Marko (18 November 2024). "Minister Heinen getergd over verwijt racisme: herkent zichzelf 'totaal niet in heel veel woorden'" [Minister Heinen irritated by racism allegations: Does not recognize himself 'at all in many words']. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 November 2024.
23. "Heinen 'pisnijdig' over aan hem toegeschreven uitspraken in ministerraad" [Heinen 'furious' about Council of Ministers comments ascribed to him]. NOS (in Dutch). 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
24. De Boer, Marcel; Jongsma, Marijn (24 October 2024). "Heinen wil Europa van 'doodlopende weg' afhalen met kapitaalmarktunie" [Heinen wants to keep Europe off dead end with capital markets]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 October 2024.
25. Kraaijeveld, Maaike (26 February 2021). "Vrouw van VVD'er Eelco Heinen bevalt van zoontje ín de auto: 'Ineens was daar het hoofdje'" [Wife of VVD member Eelco Heinen gives birth to son in car: 'His head was suddenly there']. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
26. "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021](PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
27. "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023](PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 21 December 2023.

Political offices
Preceded by Steven van Weyenberg	Minister of Finance 2024–present	Incumbent