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Lodewijk Asscher
Lodewijk Asscher 2015 (1).jpg
Asscher in 2015
Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives
In office
23 March 2017 – 14 January 2021
Preceded by Attje Kuiken
Succeeded by Lilianne Ploumen
Leader of the Labour Party
In office
10 December 2016 – 14 January 2021
Deputy Sharon Dijksma
Lilianne Ploumen
Preceded by Diederik Samsom
Succeeded by Lilianne Ploumen
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office
5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Preceded by Maxime Verhagen
Succeeded by Hugo de Jonge (First Deputy)
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
In office
5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Preceded by Henk Kamp
Succeeded by Wouter Koolmees
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
23 March 2017 – 30 March 2021
Mayor of Amsterdam
Acting
In office
12 March 2010 – 7 July 2010
Preceded by Job Cohen
Succeeded by Eberhard van der Laan
Personal details
Born
Lodewijk Frans Asscher

(1974-09-27) 27 September 1974 (age 50)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political party Labour Party
Spouse
Jildau Piena
(m. 2007)
Children 3 sons
Relatives Abraham Asscher (great-grandfather)
Hans Vonk (uncle)
Residence Amsterdam
Education University of Amsterdam (BSocSc, LLB, LLM, DPhil)

Lodewijk Frans Asscher (born 27 September 1974) is a Dutch politician and legal expert. He was the leader of the Labour Party (PvdA) from 2016 to 2021. He also led the party's group in the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2021.

Asscher worked as a researcher at the University of Amsterdam from 1996 to 2002. He became a city council member in Amsterdam in 2002. Later, he led the Labour Party in the city council. He also taught law at the University of Amsterdam. In 2006, he became Deputy Mayor and an alderman in Amsterdam.

From March to July 2010, Asscher served as the acting Mayor of Amsterdam. This happened after the previous mayor, Job Cohen, stepped down. After the 2012 national election, Asscher became the Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He also served as the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. He held these important roles from 2012 to 2017.

Early Life and Education

Lodewijk Frans Asscher was born on 27 September 1974 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His family had different backgrounds. His father was of Jewish descent, and his mother was Catholic. His father was a lawyer and a member of a different political party. His mother was a member of the Labour Party.

Asscher went to school in The Hague. He studied psychology and Dutch law at the University of Amsterdam. He earned his master's degree in law in 1998. In 2002, he completed his PhD in law from the same university.

Political Career

Amsterdam City Politics

Asscher started his political career in Amsterdam. He joined the city council after the 2002 local elections. He became the leader of the Labour Party group in the Amsterdam city council. He also worked on general affairs for the city.

Before 2006, Asscher taught information law at the University of Amsterdam. In 2006, he led the Labour Party's campaign for the Amsterdam local elections. After the elections, he became an alderman on 26 April. An alderman is like a city minister, in charge of certain areas. His responsibilities included economics, the airport, and the harbour.

He was also the Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam from 2006 to 2010. When the Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, resigned, Asscher stepped in. He served as the acting Mayor from 12 March 2010 to 7 July 2010. After that, he was the alderman for finances until 2012.

National Politics

On 5 November 2012, Lodewijk Asscher moved to national politics. He became the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. He also took on the role of Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. These were key positions in the government at the time.

In December 2016, Asscher was chosen as the new leader of the Labour Party. He won an election against the previous leader, Diederik Samsom. Asscher received 54.5% of the votes.

In the 2017 national election, the Labour Party faced a big defeat. They received only 5.7% of the votes. This meant they lost many of their seats in parliament. The Labour Party did not join the government after this election.

Asscher stopped being the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in October 2017. He was replaced by Wouter Koolmees. Asscher was expected to lead the Labour Party in the 2021 elections. However, he decided to step down as leader on 14 January 2021. This was due to an issue related to social benefits that happened when he was a minister. After leaving politics, he joined a consulting firm.

Personal Life

Lodewijk Asscher is married to Jildau Piena. They got married in 2007. They have three sons together.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lodewijk Asscher para niños

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