After years of opposing cuts to international student funding, Rianne Letschert now has the opportunity to influence the next government’s policy from the inside. D66 has asked her to lead talks with CDA and VVD. The House of Representatives is set to decide this afternoon.

A strong opponent of budget cuts

Letschert (1976) became rector of Maastricht University in 2016 and has served as president of the executive board since 2021. As a professor of international law and victimology, she specialized in victims of large-scale human rights violations, including in Rwanda, Congo, and Liberia.

In recent years, she has become increasingly active in politics. She was particularly visible in The Hague when the Schoof cabinet announced major cuts affecting international students. As the leader of the Netherlands’ most international university, she was a vocal opponent of these reductions.

In 2018, she also assisted in negotiations for a new municipal government in Maastricht. At the time, the local CDA had requested her involvement, according to the university newspaper Observant.

Political ambitions

Those close to her have long known of her political ambitions. When she was reappointed for a second term as president in September, Observant speculated whether she would complete it.

Letschert is a member of D66 and told  De Limburger this summer that she had previously declined a ministerial post. In 2022, she was approached for a position in the fourth Rutte cabinet, but it was not the right time for her. Now, she is taking a different view.

If the House approves, she is likely to lead the coalition negotiations between D66, CDA, and VVD later this week. Maastricht University reports that her role as informateur is expected to last until the end of January.