Dick Schoof, the former head of the domestic security service AIVD is set to be the next Dutch prime minister.

Schoof, 67, is currently the most senior civil servant in the justice ministry. He has previously headed the counter-terrorism unit NCTV and the immigration service IND as well as the AIVD.

The four parties have been in talks on possible prime ministerial candidates since last week, when Ronald Plasterk, a former Labour minister and PVV leader Geert Wilders’ first choice, pulled out over integrity concerns.

The four parties are working to put together what they call an “extra-parliamentary” cabinet made up of half political appointees and half experts in their field. The aim is to complete the process before the summer recess.

PVV leader Geert Wilders said he is “happy and proud” to have Schoof as prime ministerial candidate. “He has good experience on the right issues… he is an independent person who is not a member of any political party.” All four new coalition parties are behind his appointment, Wilders said.

“He has broad civil service experience in areas that are very important,” said NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt. “He has no political experience but will pick that up very soon.”

According to the Telegraaf, Schoof was formerly a member of the Labour party (PvdA), but left the party five years ago.

He headed the AIVD for just one year before moving back to the justice ministry as director general. The justice ministry is the biggest in The Hague, with some 100,000 civil servants.

He had been due to retire at the age of 67 but got special dispensation to stay on the job.

Democracy

Schoof said in an interview with the Groene Amsterdammer earlier this year that he had difficulty with the frame which said “democracy is about to die, as a result of the election result”.

“The first important question is: who am I to say I see it right and the rest don’t?” he told the magazine.

The rule of law and democracy are always subject to change, he said, adding that when it comes to anti-terrorism legislation, “we look at privacy and freedom differently today than we did 20 years ago”.

His name is pronounced Skoaf, with a soft, rolling k.