Nora Achahbar

Nora Achahbar
Nora Achahbar
State Secretary for Benefits and Customs
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 2 July 2024
Prime Minister	Dick Schoof
Minister	Eelco Heinen
Preceded by	Aukje de Vries
Personal details
Born	Nora Achahbar; 21 June 1982 (age 42); Sidi Slimane, Morocco
Citizenship	Morocco; Netherlands;
Political party	NSC (2023–present)
Children	2
Alma mater	Leiden University
Occupation	Politician; judge; lawyer; public prosecutor;

Nora Achahbar (Dutch: [ˈnɔraː ɑˈɕaːbɑr]; born 21 June 1983) is a Dutch jurist, judge and politician of the New Social Contract (NSC) party. She has served as State Secretary for Benefits and Customs in the Schoof cabinet since July 2024.^[1]

Early life and career

Achahbar was born in Sidi Slimane, Morocco. Her father moved to the Netherlands as a guest worker aged 18, working as a cook in The Hague. Achahbar grew up in the Netherlands, and she described her childhood in poverty in an interview to Trouw. She graduated high school with a VWO diploma and went on to study law.^[2] She worked as a deputy judge, lawyer, and public prosecutor in The Hague. She prosecuted cases related to fraud, terrorism, violent crime, and burglary.^[3]

Achahbar joined the newly established political party New Social Contract, and she ran for the House of Representatives as its 26th candidate in the November 2023 general election. She did not enter the House, as the party secured 20 seats.^[3]^[4] After the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB formed the Schoof cabinet, Achahbar was sworn in as State Secretary for Benefits and Customs on 2 July 2024.^[3]^[5] Her portfolio includes the aftermath of the Dutch childcare benefits scandal and reforms to the benefits system.^[6] The cabinet aimed to finish the recovery operation for the scandal's victims by 2027 despite a slow pace of procedures. Achahbar criticized the myriad of compensation schemes. She established an emergency committee to advise on a new centralized recovery approach that would look beyond just financial compensation.^[2]^[7]^[8]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Nora Achahbar
Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Result		Ref.
Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Party seats	Individual	Ref.
2023	House of Representatives		New Social Contract	26	1,373	20	Lost	^[4]

References

^ "CV mw N Achahbar". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 June 2024.
^ ^a ^b Achahbar, Nora (10 September 2024). "Staatssecretaris Toeslagen Nora Achahbar (NSC): 'Het is niet raar dat mensen wantrouwend zijn'" [State Secretary for Benefits and Customs Nora Achahbar (NSC): 'It is not surprising that people have become distrustful']. Trouw (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Esther Lammers. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Nora Achahbar gaat voor NSC het toeslagendossier beheren" [Nora Achahbar will manage the benefits portfolio for NSC]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Model P 22-1: Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal" [Model P 22–1: Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives] (PDF). Staatscourant (in Dutch). Vol. 2024, no. 119. 24 January 2024. pp. 143–144. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via Overheid.nl.
^ "Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd" [Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in]. NOS (in Dutch). 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
^ "Nora Achahbar". Government of the Netherlands (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 July 2024.
^ Hendrickx, Frank; Huisman, Charlotte (6 November 2024). "Staatssecretaris zet in op 'totaalherstel' van toeslagenaffaire: 'Het kan zo niet langer'" [State secretary focuses on 'comprehensive recovery' from childcare benefits scandal: 'This can't continue']. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 November 2024.
^ Lammers, Esther (6 November 2024). "Spoedcommissie moet afhandeling toeslagenaffaire versnellen" [Emergency committee should speed up recovery from the childcare benefits scandal]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 November 2024.

Political offices
Preceded by Aukje de Vries	State Secretary for Benefits and Customs 2024–present	Incumbent

[1] "CV mw N Achahbar". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 June 2024.

[trouw-2] Achahbar, Nora (10 September 2024). "Staatssecretaris Toeslagen Nora Achahbar (NSC): 'Het is niet raar dat mensen wantrouwend zijn'" [State Secretary for Benefits and Customs Nora Achahbar (NSC): 'It is not surprising that people have become distrustful']. Trouw (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Esther Lammers. Retrieved 14 September 2024.

[nos-3] "Nora Achahbar gaat voor NSC het toeslagendossier beheren" [Nora Achahbar will manage the benefits portfolio for NSC]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.

[sc-4] "Model P 22-1: Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal" [Model P 22–1: Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives] (PDF). Staatscourant (in Dutch). Vol. 2024, no. 119. 24 January 2024. pp. 143–144. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via Overheid.nl.

[5] "Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd" [Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in]. NOS (in Dutch). 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.

[6] "Nora Achahbar". Government of the Netherlands (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 July 2024.

[7] Hendrickx, Frank; Huisman, Charlotte (6 November 2024). "Staatssecretaris zet in op 'totaalherstel' van toeslagenaffaire: 'Het kan zo niet langer'" [State secretary focuses on 'comprehensive recovery' from childcare benefits scandal: 'This can't continue']. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 November 2024.

[8] Lammers, Esther (6 November 2024). "Spoedcommissie moet afhandeling toeslagenaffaire versnellen" [Emergency committee should speed up recovery from the childcare benefits scandal]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 November 2024.

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