Alexander Pechtold
| Alexander Pechtold | |
|---|---|
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| Parliamentary leader - Democrats 66 House of Representatives of the Netherlands |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 23 November 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Lousewies van der Laan |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 30 November 2006 |
|
| Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations | |
| In office 31 March 2005 – 3 July 2006 |
|
| Prime Minister | Jan Peter Balkenende |
| Preceded by | Thom de Graaf |
| Succeeded by | Atzo Nicolaï |
| Mayor of Wageningen | |
| In office 1 October 2003 – 31 March 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Geke Faber |
| Succeeded by | Geert van Rumund |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Pechtold 16 December 1965 Delft, Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Political party | Democrats 66 (Democraten 66 - D66) |
| Spouse(s) | Froukje Idema |
| Residence | Wageningen, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Leiden University (MA in Art History and Archaeology) |
| Occupation | Politician, auctioneer |
| Religion | None (atheism) [1] |
| Website | (Dutch) Democrats 66 website |
Alexander Pechtold (born 16 December 1965 in Delft) is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 (Democraten 66 - D66) party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006. He has also been party leader since 24 June 2006.
Pechtold served as Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Balkenende II from 31 March 2005 to 3 July 2006, following the resignation of D66 party leader Thom de Graaf. Before entering into national politics he was mayor of Wageningen from 1 October 2003 to 31 March 2005.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Born in the city of Delft, Pechtold grew up in the village of Rhoon. Pechtold studied art history and archaeology with a specialization in 17th-century painting at Leiden University, obtaining a Masters degree in 1996. He also obtained a certification as auctioneer and worked for the Van Stockum's Veilingen during his studies. He was elected chairman of D66 in 2002. At that time he was alderman of Leiden, where earlier he functioned as councillor. He was appointed mayor of Wageningen in 2003. In 2005 he became Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations in the second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende.
[edit] Politics
Pechtold was the lijsttrekker for D66 in the Dutch elections of 2006, after he beat parliamentary leader Lousewies van der Laan and others in the 2006 D66 leadership election. Pechtold, as well as Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst, resigned from his minister post after the second Balkenende cabinet came in crisis on 29 June 2006. The next day, Balkenende offered the resignation of the full cabinet to the Queen Beatrix. In 2007 the parliamentarian press chose Pechtold with 31% of the votes as the 'Dutch Politician of the Year 2007'.
During the Cabinet Balkenende IV administration Pechtold served as opposition leader against the cabinet. After the Dutch elections of 2010, the D66 won seven-seats in the House of Representatives which reporters claimed was due to Pechtolds leadership during the Balkenende IV time. [2] After the 2010 Dutch cabinet formation the D66 again remained in opposition. In 2012, Pechtold published Henk, Ingrid, & Alexander, which ostensibly aimed to break through the populism that has dominated Dutch politics in the previous decade--"Henk" and "Ingrid" are the generic names proposed by Geert Wilders and other PVV politicians to represent the average Dutch couple--by engaging everyday people in conversation. The book was panned in de Volkskrant as a "cheap PR-stunt without any value to it."[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- (Dutch) Parlement.com biography
- ^ (Dutch) Welke politici zijn bright? Official site
- ^ (Dutch) Het Pechtold-effect goed voor D66
- ^ Fretz, Johan (8 February 2012). "'Ik mis Hans van Mierlo opeens zo'". de Volkskrant. http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/9284/Johan-Fretz/article/detail/3164241/2012/02/08/Johan-Fretz-Ik-mis-Hans-van-Mierlo-opeens-zo.dhtml?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20120208. Retrieved 8 February 2012. "Pechtold kijkt koddig in de lens van de NOS en noemt de populistische titel van zijn boek 'gewoon een knipoog'. Ik vind het een goedkope PR-stunt zonder onderliggende waarde."
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alexander Pechtold |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gerard Schouw |
Party chairman Democrats 66 2002-2005 |
Succeeded by Frank Dales |
| Preceded by Lousewies van der Laan (Ad interim) |
Party leader Democrats 66 2006- |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Lousewies van der Laan |
Parliamentary leader - Democrats 66 House of Representatives 2006- |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Thom de Graaf |
Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations 2005-2006 |
Succeeded by Atzo Nicolaï |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Geke Faber |
Mayor of Wageningen 2003-2005 |
Succeeded by Geert van Rumund |
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Auctioneers
- Democrats 66 politicians
- Dutch art historians
- Dutch atheists
- Dutch municipal councillors
- Leiden University alumni
- Mayors of places in the Netherlands
- Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands
- Ministers without portfolio of the Netherlands
- Party Chairs of Democrats 66
- Party leaders of Democrats 66
- People from Albrandswaard
- People from Delft
