The reshuffle among the ranks of MPs for the right-wing Liberal VVD continued on Thursday with the confirmation that former junior justice minister Fred Teeven is returning to parliament.

Teeven is replacing Ard van de Steur who has taken the top job at the ministry following the resignation of Ivo Opstelten.

Teeven and Opstelten stood down earlier this month in the wake of a row over the repayment of 4.7 million guilders to a convicted drugs baron while Teeven was a public prosecutor.

This is Teeven’s fourth stint in parliament. He was previously an MP for Pim Fortuyn’s populist Leefbaar Nederland and twice for the VVD.

There are still two more vacancies in the VVD parliamentary ranks – one to replace Klaas Dijkhoff who took over Teeven’s job at the ministry and one to replace René Leegte who resigned earlier this week over a conflict of interest.

Independent

The parliamentary musical chairs began on Wednesday when former VVD MP Johan Houwers was sworn in as an independent MP. Houwers stepped down in 2013 because of claims he had committed mortgage fraud. He has since been fined €4,000 for the offence.

On Wednesday he took over the seat formerly held by VVD parliamentarian Mark Verheijen who resigned last month over integrity claims. Houwers was entitled to the seat as a member of the VVD parliamentary candidates list.

The VVD promptly expelled him from the party so he took the seat as an independent. MPs from across the political spectrum condemned his decision and only a handful congratulated him after the swearing in ceremony.

There are now 16 different political groupings within parliament.