Succeeded by Carola Schouten Succeeded by Arie Slob Preceded by Ronald Plasterk Name Andre Rouvoet Spouse Liesbeth Rouvoet Residence Woerden, Netherlands | Preceded by Arie Slob Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende Succeeded by Marja van Bijsterveldt Role Dutch Politician Education VU University Amsterdam | |
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Children Emma Rouvoet, Rianna Rouvoet, Marieke Rouvoet, Lydia Rouvoet, Arjen Rouvoet Political party Reformatory Political Federation, ChristianUnion | ||
Dutch Minister for Youth and Family on his policy
Andre Rouvoet [ɑnˈdreː ˈrouvut] (born 4 January 1962) 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 17 May 1994 until 22 February 2007. When the ChristianUnion party leader Kars Veling retired, Rouvoet unexpectedly became the new party leader and the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives serving from 12 November 2002 until 22 February 2007. On that day, he became Minister of Youth and Family and Deputy Prime Minister serving from 22 February 2007 until 14 October 2010 in the Fourth Balkenende cabinet. He returned to the House of Representatives on 17 June 2010 and again as parliamentary leader. On 29 April 2011 he announced his retired from politics. He was succeeded as party leader and parliamentary leader by Arie Slob.
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He was the party leader of the ChristianUnion from 9 November 2002 until 28 April 2011.
Early life
Rouvoet was born in Hilversum. 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.
Politics
In the Dutch general election of 1994 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 the Dutch general election of 1998 Rouvoet became a 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 RPF 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 party in the Dutch general election of 2003, which also ended in defeat.
In 2005 Rouvoet's star rose as his party, together with the Pim Fortuyn List, Geert Wilders and the Socialist Party, opposed the European Constitution in the 2005 referendum. This proposal was subsequently rejected by the Dutch electorate, three days 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 was responsible for Youth, Children and Family affairs. His post was one of the two newly formed 'programme ministers'. His office was housed at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, but civil servants of other departments also worked directly for the programme ministry. The ministry had a budget of its own, among which were the child benefits and youth care budget.
Rouvoet in 2003 received the Johan Rudolph Thorbecke award for eloquence and was elected "Politician of the Year 2004" by the parliamentary press.