PHILIPSBURG — The unjustified dismissal of Hensley Plantijn as Secretary-General at the Ministry of General Affairs has triggered a lot of debate between those who support Plantijn and those who oppose him. The issue came to light after René Zwart wrote on his web site Dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl that the Council of Appeal of the Court for Civil Servant Affairs had annulled Plantijn’s dismissal because the country had failed to contest his appeal. However, a careful study of the court ruling shows this is not correct. So what happened?
Plantijn worked since 2011 as Advisor for the Minister of General Affairs (who is also the Prime Minister). He started his job as Secretary-General in October 2014 and received his formal appointment on June 30, 2015.
On December 23, 2022, the Governor gave Plantijn honorable dismissal per January 1, 2023. The reason for the dismissal was “improper communication with colleague’s and others, incapability of hiring qualified personnel, failure to deliver information for the budget year 2021 and failure to safeguard the quality of product and services. The government furthermore claimed that Plantijn failed to execute the most important assignments and instructions and that he also failed to deliver strategic documents.
The court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to establish a pattern of dysfunction. “One may expect from a Secretary-General that he is able to adjust to changing political circumstances and that he is able to work together with ministers of different political colors.”
The court ruled that the dismissal was justified but Plantijn took his case to the Council of Appeal. The initial hearing on November 29, 2024, was a no-show on the side of government. At the second appeal hearing, on January 22, 2025, the Governor was represented by his attorney. The court gave parties the opportunity to arrive at a mutually agreeable settlement. When parties did not manage to reach such an agreement, the court closed the investigation and issued its ruling. This time the chips fell in the right direction for Plantijn.
The court ruled that dismissal due to unsuitability was not justified. The argument that Plantijn no longer enjoyed the confidence of his minister also failed to convince the court, because it lacks a legal basis in the LMA – the rulebook for civil servants.
The Council of Appeal therefore declared Plantijn’s appeal against his dismissal justified and it annulled the national decree of December 22, 2022.
Currently, Plantijn works as legal advisor for Prime Minister Luc Mercelina.
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Related article:
Opinion piece: The Plantijn Case
Column: Presentatie is geen participatie
PM Mercelina reinstates Secretary-General Plantijn
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