Our woman in the hague
Interview Agnes Joseph door Koos Gubbels
On 22 November 2023 the Netherlands held elections. The results reshaped the political landscape. One of the big winners of the election was the new political party Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC) who gained 20 out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives. It became the fourth largest party in the country and it is an important partner in the negotiations to form a new government. The party leader, Pieter Omtzigt, is a quantitative economist, while the number 8 on the list, Agnes Joseph, is an actuary. We asked her about her ambitions in politics, now that she has entered the House of Representatives with her actuarial background.
What was the motivation to join a political party and participate in the elections?
'As an actuary in the pension sector, I have always enjoyed following the changes in pension legislation. Meanwhile, the biggest transition in the Dutch pension sector ever has been announced. The Act Future Pensions is in force as of 1 July 2023. Setting up a completely new system will pose major challenges in the near future. I see a lot of practical opportunities for improvement. When the government fell, I thought: this is the chance to make a case for that. After all, where better to monitor legislation and improve it than in The Hague?’
