André Rouvoet

André Rouvoet (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑndreː ˈrʌuvut]; born 4 January 1962) is a retired Dutch politician of the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) party and later the Christian Union (CU) party and jurist. He is the chairman of the executive board of the Healthcare Insurance association (ZN) since 1 February 2012.

Rouvoet applied at the Free University Amsterdam in June 1982 majoring in Philosophy of law and obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree in July 1984 and worked as a student researcher before graduating with a Master of Laws degree in July 1986. Rouvoet worked as a political consultant for the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) from September 1986 until November 1987 and for the Marnix van St. Aldegonde Foundation from November 1987 until May 1994 as a researcher from November 1987 until January 1989 and as director from January 1989 until May 1994. Rouvoet also worked as a political science teacher at an Evangelical School for Journalism in Amersfoort from September 1989 until July 1993. Rouvoet was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1994, taking office on 17 May 1994. On 22 January 2000 the Reformatory Political Federation and the Reformed Political League (GVP) choose to merge in a political alliance to form the Christian Union. Member of the Senate Kars Veling of the Reformed Political League was choose as the first Leader of the Christian Union and became the Lijsttrekker (top candidate) of the Christian Union for the election of 2002. The Christian Union had 5 seats in the House of House of Representatives previously held by the Reformed Political League and the Reformatory Political Federation and suffered a small loss, losing 1 seat and now had 4 seats in the House of Representatives with Veling being partially blamed for the defeat. Veling took responsibility for the defeat and subsequently announced his retirement from national politics and that he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader of the Christian Union in the House of House of Representatives in November 2002. Rouvoet soon thereafter announced his candidacy for the Christian Union leadership and won unopposed and succeeded Veling as Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of House of Representatives on 12 November 2002.

For the election of 2003 Rouvoet served as Lijsttrekker of the Christian Union. The Christian Union suffered a small loss, losing 1 seat and now had 3 seats in the House of Representatives. For the election of 2006 Rouvoet served again as Lijsttrekker. The Christian Union made a win, gaining 3 seats and now had 6 seats in the House of Representatives. The following cabinet formation of 2006 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Christian Union, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the Labour Party (PvdA) which formed the Cabinet Balkenende IV with Rouvoet appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Youth and Family Policy, taking office on 22 February 2007. The Cabinet Balkenende IV fell on 20 February 2010 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity with Rouvoet appointed as Minister of Education, Culture and Science following the resignation Ronald Plasterk dual serving in both positions, taking office on 23 February 2010. For the election of 2010 Rouvoet served for a third and last time as Lijsttrekker. The Christian Union suffered a small loss, losing 1 seat and now had 5 seats in the House of Representatives. Rouvoet subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 17 June 2010. The Cabinet Balkenende IV was replaced by the Cabinet Rutte I on 14 October 2010. On 28 April 2011 Rouvoet unexpectedly announced his retirement from national politics and that he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of House of Representatives and was succeeded by his long serving Deputy Arie Slob but retained his seat in the House of Representatives and continued to serve as a backbencher until his resignation on 19 May 2011.

Rouvoet retired from active politic and became active in the public sector and occupies numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Netherlands, Present Foundation, Bartiméus Fonds and STUDIO'van De Balie) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Divorce Challenge Comité and the Youth-care Abuse Investigation). On 24 October 2011 Rouvoet was nominated as chairman of the executive board of the Healthcare Insurance association (ZN) serving since 1 February 2012.