Menno Snel
Menno Snel | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 29, 1970 Vleuten-De Meern, Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | State Secretary for Finance (2017–2019) |
Menno Snel (born 29 October 1970) is a politician from the Netherlands affiliated with the Democrats 66 (D66) party. He held the position of State Secretary for Finance from 26 October 2017 until his resignation on 18 December 2019.
Education
Snel was born in Vleuten-De Meern, located in Utrecht. Between 1988 and 1994, he pursued studies in general economics at the University of Groningen, during which time he also served on the board of the student organization RKSV Albertus Magnus.
Professional life
Following his graduation, Snel began his career at the Dutch financial institution MeesPierson. In 1995, he entered the Ministry of Finance, where he advanced to become Deputy Director-General for Fiscal Affairs by the age of 33. His responsibilities encompassed budgetary policy, including involvement with the Zalmnorm introduced by Gerrit Zalm, as well as international matters related to tax competition.
Between 2009 and 2011, Snel was appointed director of strategy and policy at pension fund APG. From 2011 until 2016, he worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, D.C., concentrating on governance issues. On 1 September 2016, he assumed the role of chairman of the board at the Nederlandse Waterschapsbank.
Politics
Snel became part of the newly established Third Rutte cabinet on 26 October 2017 as State Secretary for the Finance. He joined Democrats 66 (D66) shortly before taking office and was regarded as an unexpected yet technical appointment. His areas of responsibility included Fiscal Affairs, Lower Governmental Finances, oversight of the Royal Dutch Mint, Holland Casino, and the State Lottery. A significant aspect of his mandate involved addressing reforms within the troubled Tax and Customs Administration.
He was implicated in controversies concerning improper reclamation of child-related subsidies from citizens, which led to personal bankruptcies and lifelong repayment demands. This issue impacted no fewer than 300 families, who were later assured compensation by the government, which placed accountability on the Tax Service. Reports indicated that employees were reluctant to raise concerns, with suspicions of fraudulent activities dating back to 2014.
The scandal known as the Netherlands child welfare fraud scandal culminated in January 2021 when the entire Rutte cabinet resigned but continued in a caretaker capacity until the scheduled 2021 Dutch general election.
In 2022, Snel was proposed by the Dutch government as a candidate to replace Klaus Regling as Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism.