Handling the allowance affair
Handling the allowance affair
Princess Laurentien will stop as chairman of the allowance parents foundation immediately: 'I want to rest, I want to be happy'
By Arne Hankel and Sander Paulus·August 28, 2024·Updated: September 2, 2024
RTL News
Princess Laurentien will immediately quit as chairman of the board of the Foundation (Equal) Worthy Recovery. She made the decision last weekend after stories about transgressive behavior during the recovery operation in the childcare allowance affair had recently appeared. “The very last thing I want is for it to be about me,” says a very emotional princess Laurentien in an exclusive conversation with RTL News.
Princess Laurentien says she was touched by the allegations in a conversation with RTL News today. And she also shows that clearly during the conversation. The princess breaks several times, tears flow.
Helps allowance parents
Today, Laurentien tells her story exactly one year after the foundation of the (Equal) worthy Recovery Foundation. This foundation helps parents affected by the benefits affair. She mediates between the Ministry of Finance and the affected parents about financial and emotional recovery from the affected suffering. There has been a lot to do about the foundation's approach to this. Parents were enthusiastic about this, but a first trial with around three hundred files was not immediately convincing the Ministry of Finance. According to the department, the method would be expensive and there were doubts whether the method could be widely applied. Finally, in July, the ministry agreed to continue this method and help affected benefit parents.
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Not long after that cabinet decision the AD published an article which said that Princess Laurentien was accused by ministry officials of transgressive behavior. According to these officials, there would have been harassment in the contact.
Hit
Several reports would have been made to the Ministry of Finance on an anonymous basis. The (Equal) Worthy Recovery Foundation contradicted the allegations and spoke of “defamatory allegations”. The Ministry of Finance then said in a response that “emotions have run up” in the cooperation between the ministry and Princess Laurentien's foundation. A verbal report would be made by some employees. A spokesperson would not say how much or whether there was transgressive behavior. Princess Laurentien emphasizes that she never sat anywhere alone. There were always different people in the conference room, so no matter what happened, there must be enough witnesses, she says.
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She says that the conversations between the victims and officials at the ministry were emotional, but insists that — despite the emotions — she never crossed a line. “No, no. And that was kept under everyone's control.”
No research
She has never personally heard anything about complaints since the meetings and even after their publication in the AD. “You don't know where it comes from,” she tells RTL News. She is also not aware of an official investigation into transgressive behavior against her at the Ministry of Finance. “I don't know.” She says she has not been heard and she would not have been told that such an investigation is underway. “I don't know what to defend myself against.” Laurentien is touched by the events. “This is who I am. My identity is my professionalism. And if you are then dealt with on the person. So then another person will be made of me. That affects me.”
She is now quitting as chairman because the fuss stands in the way of the foundation's goal. “That hampers that joint mission.” And that is exactly what makes it very annoying for her, because she was always very aware of her role. “I've never been a 'hassle' in 20 years. Maybe it's inappropriate, but I've been a boring box for 20 years.”
King Willem-Alexander
She hasn't been asked to stop for a moment, she says. Not by her brother-in-law, King Willem-Alexander, nor by Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Not even by her husband, Prince Constantine. According to her, her position as a princess has never been a problem. It hasn't made the royal family extra vulnerable either, she says. “Everyone thinks something about it now. But there are also people who say: how nice that someone from the Royal House is doing this. The polarization of opinions is now reflected in this way. I want to get out of there.”
Be happy
There is another reason: “I also want to rest, I also want to do my job. I also just want to be a happy person.” So the fact that she's leaving now affects her. Because the trust of the allowance parents in dealing with the suffering caused them is “another huge dent”. Laurentien leaves as chairman, but remains active with the foundation. In a role in the background, she remains committed to solving the problem.
'Risk of using Princess Laurentien on this file'
“Anyway, Princess Laurentien went into a hornet's nest,” says Royal House Reporter Sander Paulus. “In assisting the victims of the Allowance Affair, the princess works in a red-hot and difficult political file. It involves ministries, senior officials, affected parents and children. The royal family is far from delicate issues, and when they say or do anything, it is veiled and in the background. Laurentien says she doesn't want to look away. And that many people are happy with her work. But as a member of the Royal House, ministerial responsibility is constantly on the alert. Something she has been aware of for two decades. It was a risk to address this file in her position. It went well for a long time. But the anonymous reports have become too much for her,” says Paulus.” It opens the discussion about what we want with the members of the Royal House. What are they allowed and not allowed to do? Prince Constantine and Laurentien must earn their own money. As a society, do we want them to stay away from the government? Isn't a business job just as vulnerable? It's up to the prime minister to provide answers to this.”
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