The Netherlands has become too inward looking and needs to appoint a minister of foreign trade, Bernard Wientjes says in an interview with Saturday’s Volkskrant.

‘We are much too busy with domestic matters and not enough with abroad,’ Wientjes said. The government has made a lot of fuss about the Schengen area and stopping Romania and Bulgaria joining but the Netherlands is the biggest foreign investor in Romania, Wientjes pointed out.
The Netherlands and Finland have blocked the two countries accession to the open border area, saying neither country had done enough to combat corruption.

Prosperity
‘I would like a foreign trade minister to be appointed immediately, a top entrepreneur to promote our interests abroad. He would only come home for clean underwear,’ Wientjes said.
The Dutch trademark is looking beyond its borders, he said. ‘Throw the door open again. We earn our prosperity abroad.’
The interview was carried out to mark the naming of Wientjes as the most powerful person in the Netherlands by the Volkskrant for the second year running.
Second on the Volkskrant’s list is departing Akzo Nobel CEO Hans Wijers, while third is Alexander Rinnooy Kan, chairman of the government’s SER advisory committee.
The highest woman in the list is Kajsa Ollongren, secretary general of the prime minister’s office, at number 16.