Minister: ‘position ombudsman well regulated’

Minister: ‘position ombudsman well regulated’

How independent will the new ombudspersons be who universities are required to have as of July? Six parties in the Dutch House of Representatives submitted questions about this in February. Education Minister Van Engelshoven does not foresee any problems, she writes in her answer this week.

After all, the independent position of the ombudsperson is formally laid down in university regulations, she reasons. “This independence means that the ombudsperson can give advice without any interference. Here it applies that the Executive Board has no say in the actual execution of the job.”

The simple brushing aside of recommendations, as feared by the parliamentary parties, does not seem plausible to her. An explanation is always needed for that, she believes. “I assume that the Executive Board – given its responsibility – motivates to the Supervisory Board when it deviates from an advice of the ombudsperson.” All in all, the Minister does not consider it necessary to include the position of ombudsperson in the law, as proposed by the Dutch parties D66 and ChristenUnie. (HOP, EF)

 

TU Delft already has an ombudsman, Job van Luyken, since March 2019. Delta interviewed him at length twice:

– In August 2019, he discusses, among other things, his independence.

– In March 2021, he talks about the instability of his position.