Piet Bukman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Piet Bukman
Bukman in 1980
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office 3 December 1996 – 19 May 1998
Preceded by	Wim Deetman
Succeeded by	Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries
In office 28 September 1990 – 22 August 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Bert de Vries (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Jozias van Aartsen
State Secretary for Economic Affairs
In office 7 November 1989 – 28 September 1990
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Yvonne van Rooy
Succeeded by	Yvonne van Rooy
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 17 May 1994 – 19 May 1998
In office 14 September 1989 – 7 November 1989
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Minister of Defence
In office 6 September 1988 – 24 September 1988 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Wim van Eekelen
Succeeded by	Frits Bolkestein
Minister for Development Cooperation
In office 14 July 1986 – 7 November 1989
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Eegje Schoo
Succeeded by	Jan Pronk
President of the European People's Party
In office 10 July 1985 – 30 July 1987
Preceded by	Leo Tindemans
Succeeded by	Jacques Santer
Member of the Senate
In office 10 June 1981 – 14 July 1986
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Chairman of the Christian Democratic Appeal
In office 11 October 1980 – 14 July 1986
Leader	Dries van Agt (1980–1982) Ruud Lubbers (1982–1986)
Preceded by	Piet Steenkamp
Succeeded by	Wim van Velzen
Member of the Social and Economic Council
In office 10 May 1968 – 1 December 1980
Chairman	Jan de Pous
Personal details
Born	Pieter Bukman (1934-02-07)7 February 1934 Delft, Netherlands
Died	15 March 2022(2022-03-15) (aged 88) Voorschoten, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Anti-Revolutionary Party (until 1980)
Alma mater	Free University Amsterdam (Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · Economist · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Trade association executive · Lobbyist ·

Pieter Bukman (born February 7, 1934 – died March 15, 2022) was a Dutch politician, diplomat, and economist. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.

Piet Bukman's Early Life and Education

Piet Bukman went to high school in Delft, Netherlands, from 1946 to 1952. After that, he studied Economics at the Free University Amsterdam starting in 1952. He earned his bachelor's degree in Economics in 1954 and his master's degree in 1958.

After finishing his studies, Bukman worked for the Christian Farmers and Gardeners Association (CBTB). He was the General-Secretary from 1968 to 1975 and then became the Chairman from 1975 to 1980.

Piet Bukman's Political Career

Bukman became a very important figure in Dutch politics.

Leading the Christian Democratic Appeal Party

From October 1980 to July 1986, Piet Bukman was the Chairman of the Christian Democratic Appeal party. This made him the first leader of the unified CDA party.

Serving in the Senate

In 1981, Bukman was elected as a Member of the Senate, which is like one of the two houses of the Dutch parliament. He started this role in June 1981 and worked as a spokesperson for agriculture.

International Role: President of the European People's Party

Bukman also had an important international role. From July 1985 to July 1987, he was the President of the European People's Party. This is a group of center-right political parties in Europe.

Becoming a Minister

After the 1986 election, Bukman became the Minister for Development Cooperation in the government led by Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers. He started this job in July 1986. This role involved helping other countries develop.

For a short time in September 1988, he also served as the acting Minister of Defence.

Member of the House of Representatives

In 1989, Bukman was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives, which is the main part of the Dutch parliament. He took office in September 1989.

Later, in November 1989, he was appointed State Secretary for Economic Affairs. This role helps the Minister of Economic Affairs.

In September 1990, he became the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries. He held this position until August 1994.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

After the 1994 election, Bukman returned to the House of Representatives. In December 1996, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is like the chairperson who leads the meetings and makes sure rules are followed. He served as Speaker until May 1998.

In September 1997, Bukman announced he would retire from national politics. He finished his term in May 1998.

Life After Politics

After 17 years in national politics, Bukman retired. He then worked in both private companies and public organizations. He served on the boards of several groups, including the International Food Policy Research Institute and the World Food Programme.

Piet Bukman was known for being a good team leader and manager. He continued to share his thoughts on political matters until he fully retired in 2018.

Decorations and Awards

Piet Bukman received several important awards and honors from different countries for his work.

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown	Belgium	6 July 1986
	Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour	France	21 March 1987
	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany	Germany	10 December 1990
	Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	8 October 1994
	Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic	Italy	1 September 1997
	Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown	Luxembourg	30 April 1998