Jan Peter Balkenende facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Jan Peter Balkenende
Balkenende in 2022

Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 22 July 2002 – 14 October 2010
Monarch	Beatrix
Deputy	See list Eduard Bomhoff (2002) Johan Remkes (2002–2003) Roelf de Boer (2002–2003) Gerrit Zalm (2003–2007) Thom de Graaf (2003–2005) Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (2005–2006) Wouter Bos (2007–2010) André Rouvoet (2007–2010)
Preceded by	Wim Kok
Succeeded by	Mark Rutte
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal
In office 1 October 2001 – 9 June 2010
Preceded by	Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Succeeded by	Maxime Verhagen
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives
In office 30 November 2006 – 9 February 2007
Preceded by	Maxime Verhagen
Succeeded by	Maxime Verhagen
In office 30 January 2003 – 21 May 2003
Preceded by	Maxime Verhagen
Succeeded by	Maxime Verhagen
In office 1 October 2001 – 11 July 2002
Preceded by	Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Succeeded by	Maxime Verhagen
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 30 November 2006 – 22 February 2007
In office 30 January 2003 – 27 May 2003
In office 19 May 1998 – 22 July 2002

Personal details
Born	Jan Pieter Balkenende Jr. (1956-05-07) 7 May 1956 (age 69) Biezelinge, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–present)
Spouse	Bianca Hoogendijk (m. 1996)
Children	1
Education	Free University Amsterdam (LLB, BA, LLM, MA, PhD)
Signature

Jan Peter Balkenende is a Dutch politician and lawyer. He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for eight years, from 2002 to 2010. He is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Balkenende studied history and law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He also worked as a professor. In 1998, he became a member of the House of Representatives. This is like the Dutch parliament. He became the leader of his party, the CDA, in 2001.

As Prime Minister, Balkenende led four different governments. His time in office saw important changes to education and immigration laws. His governments also worked to improve the economy after the 2008 financial crisis. He is one of the longest-serving Prime Ministers in the Netherlands since World War II.

Early Life and Education
Starting in Politics
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
2010 Election and Retirement
Other Interesting Facts
Awards and Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Jan Pieter Balkenende Jr. was born on May 7, 1956. He grew up in Biezelinge, a town in the Zeeland province of the Netherlands. His father was a grain merchant, and his mother was a teacher. His family belonged to the Reformed faith.

As a child, Balkenende loved football and often went to matches with his father. He also enjoyed music and theatre. He went to a Protestant primary school and then a Christian secondary school in Goes. He finished secondary school in 1974.

After school, he went to the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He earned several degrees there. He got a Master's degree in history in 1980 and a law degree in 1982. Later, in 1992, he earned a PhD in law.

Today, Balkenende lives with his wife, Bianca Hoogendijk, and their daughter, Amelie. They live in Capelle aan den IJssel.

Starting in Politics

Balkenende began his political career in the city of Amstelveen. He worked for his party's research group. He also became a city councilman. As a councilman, he even proposed a funny rule that gave council members a croquette (a Dutch snack) if meetings went on past 11 PM!

In 1992, he finished his PhD thesis. It was about how governments regulate social groups. A year later, in 1993, he became a professor at the Free University of Amsterdam. He taught about Christian-Social ideas.

In 1998, Balkenende became a member of the House of Representatives. His party, the CDA, was not in power at the time. He became their expert on money matters. He also worked on social issues and justice. He believed the government should reduce its debt and manage its money well.

On October 1, 2001, he became the leader of the CDA group in parliament. Then, on November 3, 2001, he was chosen to lead the CDA in the upcoming elections. The elections in May 2002 were very important. The CDA became the largest political party again.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands

First Government (2002)

On July 4, 2002, Queen Beatrix asked Balkenende to form a new government. This happened after the previous Prime Minister, Wim Kok, resigned. Balkenende formed a government with the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) party and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

This first government, called Cabinet Balkenende I, lasted only 87 days. It ended because of disagreements within the LPF party.

Second Government (2003-2006)

After new elections in 2003, Balkenende formed his second government. This time, it included the CDA, the VVD, and the D66 party. As Prime Minister, Balkenende focused on making big changes. These changes included public services, social security, and public health. He also worked on reducing crime and making immigration rules stricter. His government also made large cuts in public spending.

These changes made some people unhappy. His party lost support in local elections in 2006. However, Balkenende's popularity improved later that year. This was partly because the Dutch economy started to get better. On July 1, 2004, the Netherlands took turns leading the European Union, with Balkenende as president.

Third Government (2006)

On June 30, 2006, the D66 party left the government. They disagreed with how the Immigration Minister handled a situation involving a member of parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Balkenende resigned for the second time. He then formed a temporary government with only the CDA and VVD parties. This government stayed in power until new elections in November 2006.

Fourth Government (2007-2010)

In the 2006 elections, Balkenende's CDA party remained strong. He then formed a new government with the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Christian Union. This government, called Cabinet Balkenende IV, was supposed to last until 2011.

However, this government also ended early, on February 20, 2010. The parties disagreed about whether Dutch soldiers should stay in Afghanistan. Balkenende's government continued as a temporary one until new elections could be held. His government also opposed Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO in 2008.

2010 Election and Retirement

Balkenende led the CDA party in the 2010 general election. However, his party did not do well. On June 9, 2010, he announced he would step down as party leader. He also left his seat in parliament. He took responsibility for the election results.

Balkenende left office on October 14, 2010. He was 54 years old. After leaving politics, he started working in the business world. He also became a professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Other Interesting Facts

In 2004, during his second term, Balkenende had a serious infection. He received surgery and recovered fully after a few weeks in the hospital.

In 2005, a Belgian minister joked that Balkenende looked like Harry Potter. This caused a small diplomatic stir, but it also led to one of his nicknames, "Harry Potter." His other nickname was "JP."

Balkenende has a good relationship with people from Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. He has attended several Keti Koti celebrations, which mark the end of slavery.

He is a member of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.

Awards and Honours

National Honours

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (2010)

Foreign Honours

Belgium: Commander of the Order of Leopold
Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
Chile: Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins
Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Ghana: Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana
House of Habsburg: Honorary Knight of the Order of St. George
Jordan: Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence
Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Romania: Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star

Other Awards

Golden Honorary Medal, from the municipality of Amstelveen (1998)

Honorary Degrees

Honorary doctorate in laws, Hope College (United States, 2012)
Honorary doctorate in human letters, Hofstra University (United States, 2011)
Honorary doctorate in sociology, Yonsei University (South Korea, 2010)
Honorary doctorate in systems, design and management, Keio University (Japan, 2009)
Honorary doctorate in theology, Károli Gáspár University of the Hungarian Reformed Church (Hungary, 2005)