André Rouvoet
Encyclopedia
André Rouvoet is a former Dutch
politician of the ChristianUnion
(CU). First as a member of the RPF
until the party merged with the Reformed Political League
(GPV) to form the ChristianUnion
. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007. When the ChristianUnion
Party leader
Kars Veling
retired Rouvoet unexpected became the new Party leader
and the Parliamentary leader
in the House of Representatives serving from November 12, 2002 until February 22, 2007, when he became Minister of Youth and Family and Deputy Prime Minister
serving from February 22, 2007 until October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Balkenende IV
. He returned to the House of Representatives on June 17, 2010 and again as Parliamentary leader
in the House of Representatives. On April 29, 2011 he announced his retirement from politics, he is succeeded as Party leader
and as the Parliamentary leader
in the House of Representatives by Arie Slob
.
He was the party leader
of the ChristianUnion
from November 9, 2002 until April 28, 2011.
. After attending a Protestant primary school in Hilversum, Rouvoet continued at a Protestant gymnasium
, specializing in humanities until 1980. In 1981 he began to study law
at the Vrije Universiteit
of Amsterdam
where he received his LL.M.
degree in philosophy of law in 1986. During his study he became assistant to the Reformatory Political Federation
party. He also was chairperson of the Reformatory Political Federation
branch in Hilversum and later in Maarssen
.
Between 1986 and 1987 he combined working for the Foundation of Schools of Protestant Christian Children's Homes, and an assistantship at the RPF parliamentary party. After that he became an employee and later director (in 1989) of the Marnix van St. Aldegonde Foundation, the scientific foundation linked to the RPF, as such he was member of the committee on the party's election manifesto for 1989 elections
. During this period he also taught political science at the Evangelical School for Journalism in Amersfoort
.
Rouvoet was heavily involved in the programmatic preparation of the election. He was editor of the party's election manifesto and the party's manifesto of principals. Rouvoet was also a candidate in these elections. The RPF won considerably and Rouvoet was elected to the House of Representatives. He immediately became secretary of the RPF political party. Rouvoet was member of the parliamentary research committee on the IRT-affair, which involved failures in a criminal investigation unit. In 1997 he was made fellow of the Marnix van Sint Aldegonde Foundation.
After Dutch general election of 1998
Rouvoet became member of the presidium of the House of Representatives. In 2000 Rouvoet published the book "Politics with a Heart. a reflection on politics and morality". In 2001 the Reformatory Political Federation
united with another Protestant-Christian party, the Reformed Political League
, to become the ChristianUnion
. When its parliamentary party was formed Rouvoet became secretary of the parliamentary party. After the unexpected
Dutch general election of 2002
, Rouvoet became party leader
of the ChristianUnion
. He led the ChristianUnion
in the Dutch general election of 2003
, which also ended in defeat. Rouvoet did, however, receive the 2003 Johan Rudolph Thorbecke
prize for eloquence and was elected "Politician of the Year 2004" by the parliamentary press.
In 2005 Rouvoet's star rose as his party, together with the Pim Fortuyn List, Geert Wilders
and the Socialist Party
, were the only ones to oppose the European Constitution in the 2005 referendum
. This proposal was subsequently rejected by the Dutch electorate, a week after the French had turned it down.
As a member of parliament, Rouvoet served as spokesperson for Justice, Finance, Health, Antillian and European Affairs. He was particularly involved in the debate on moral values and norms, which was initiated by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
.
In 2007 he became Minister of Youth and Family and Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. As minister he is responsible for Youth, Children and Family affairs. His post is one of the two newly formed 'programme ministers'. His office is housed at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, but civil servants of other departments also work directly for the programme ministry. The ministry has a budget of its own, among which are the child benefits and youth care budget.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician of the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
(CU). First as a member of the RPF
Reformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
until the party merged with the Reformed Political League
Reformed Political League
The Reformed Political League was a Dutch orthodox Protestant political party. The GPV is one of the predecessors of the ChristenUnie...
(GPV) to form the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007. When the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
Party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
Kars Veling
Kars Veling
Kars Veling is rector of the Johan de Witt College in The Hague and former politician for the GPV and Christen Unie in the Dutch parliament.-Education:Veling followed the HBS-B education in Groningen, the town where he was born...
retired Rouvoet unexpected became the new Party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
and the Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
in the House of Representatives serving from November 12, 2002 until February 22, 2007, when he became Minister of Youth and Family and Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
serving from February 22, 2007 until October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Balkenende IV
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
The fourth Balkenende cabinet or Balkenende IV is the previous Dutch coalition cabinet formed by the political parties Christian Democratic Appeal , Labour Party , and ChristianUnion . The cabinet succeeded the third Balkenende cabinet following the 2006 election, and was installed by Queen Beatrix...
. He returned to the House of Representatives on June 17, 2010 and again as Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
in the House of Representatives. On April 29, 2011 he announced his retirement from politics, he is succeeded as Party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
and as the Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
in the House of Representatives by Arie Slob
Arie Slob
Arie Slob is a Dutch politician and former history teacher. He has been a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the ChristianUnion party since November 19, 2002. Since April 28, 2011 he has also been both Party leader and Parliamentary leader, in both cases succeeding André Rouvoet...
.
He was the party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
of the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
from November 9, 2002 until April 28, 2011.
Early life
Rouvoet was born in HilversumHilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
. After attending a Protestant primary school in Hilversum, Rouvoet continued at a Protestant gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
, specializing in humanities until 1980. In 1981 he began to study law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the Vrije Universiteit
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
where he received his LL.M.
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
degree in philosophy of law in 1986. During his study he became assistant to the Reformatory Political Federation
Reformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
party. He also was chairperson of the Reformatory Political Federation
Reformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
branch in Hilversum and later in Maarssen
Maarssen
Maarssen is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht, along the river Vecht. It lies in an area called the Vechtstreek.On January 1, 2011 Maarssen merged with Breukelen and Loenen to Stichtse Vecht....
.
Between 1986 and 1987 he combined working for the Foundation of Schools of Protestant Christian Children's Homes, and an assistantship at the RPF parliamentary party. After that he became an employee and later director (in 1989) of the Marnix van St. Aldegonde Foundation, the scientific foundation linked to the RPF, as such he was member of the committee on the party's election manifesto for 1989 elections
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
. During this period he also taught political science at the Evangelical School for Journalism in Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
.
Politics
In Dutch general election of 1994Dutch general election, 1994
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:...
Rouvoet was heavily involved in the programmatic preparation of the election. He was editor of the party's election manifesto and the party's manifesto of principals. Rouvoet was also a candidate in these elections. The RPF won considerably and Rouvoet was elected to the House of Representatives. He immediately became secretary of the RPF political party. Rouvoet was member of the parliamentary research committee on the IRT-affair, which involved failures in a criminal investigation unit. In 1997 he was made fellow of the Marnix van Sint Aldegonde Foundation.
After Dutch general election of 1998
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
Rouvoet became member of the presidium of the House of Representatives. In 2000 Rouvoet published the book "Politics with a Heart. a reflection on politics and morality". In 2001 the Reformatory Political Federation
Reformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
united with another Protestant-Christian party, the Reformed Political League
Reformed Political League
The Reformed Political League was a Dutch orthodox Protestant political party. The GPV is one of the predecessors of the ChristenUnie...
, to become the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
. When its parliamentary party was formed Rouvoet became secretary of the parliamentary party. After the unexpected
Dutch general election of 2002
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
, Rouvoet became party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
of the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
. He led the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
in the Dutch general election of 2003
Dutch general election, 2003
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:...
, which also ended in defeat. Rouvoet did, however, receive the 2003 Johan Rudolph Thorbecke
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke was a Dutch politician and statesman of Liberal signature who is considered as one of the most important Dutch politicians of the 19th century...
prize for eloquence and was elected "Politician of the Year 2004" by the parliamentary press.
In 2005 Rouvoet's star rose as his party, together with the Pim Fortuyn List, Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
and the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
, were the only ones to oppose the European Constitution in the 2005 referendum
Dutch referendum on the European Constitution
The Dutch referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was a consultative referendum that was held on 1 June 2005 to decide if the Netherlands would ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union....
. This proposal was subsequently rejected by the Dutch electorate, a week after the French had turned it down.
As a member of parliament, Rouvoet served as spokesperson for Justice, Finance, Health, Antillian and European Affairs. He was particularly involved in the debate on moral values and norms, which was initiated by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
.
In 2007 he became Minister of Youth and Family and Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. As minister he is responsible for Youth, Children and Family affairs. His post is one of the two newly formed 'programme ministers'. His office is housed at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, but civil servants of other departments also work directly for the programme ministry. The ministry has a budget of its own, among which are the child benefits and youth care budget.
Trivia
- Rouvoet is an avid snookerSnookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player; - His wife is a medical doctor, and he has four daughters and one son.