The Netherlands and Belgium have chosen to jointly endorse Peter De Buysscher, the Belgian candidate for Interpol vice-president, due to controversy surrounding the prior Dutch candidate Jannine Van den Berg.
According to the Flemish newspaper De Tijd, De Buysscher's candidacy had been supported by the Netherlands in order for both countries to have a better chance against the other European contenders.
Despite the Belgian being held in high regard as head of Belgium's Directorate of International Police Cooperation and a member of Europol's management board, the Netherlands had initially planned to nominate their own candidate, Jannine Van den Berg.
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Van den Berg's candidacy was criticised when an audit found that her time directing the National Unit of the Dutch police was riddled with "bad leadership, abuse of power and unprofessionalism."
As a result, the Netherlands has withdrawn her candidacy in favour of De Buysscher.
