Rudolf de Korte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rudolf de Korte
Rudolf de Korte in 1985
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 14 July 1986 – 7 November 1989
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Gijs van Aardenne
Succeeded by	Wim Kok
Minister of Economic Affairs
In office 14 July 1986 – 7 November 1989
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Gijs van Aardenne
Succeeded by	Koos Andriessen
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
In office 9 July 1986 – 15 December 1986
Preceded by	Ed Nijpels
Succeeded by	Joris Voorhoeve
Minister of the Interior
In office 12 March 1986 – 14 July 1986
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Frits Korthals Altes (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Kees van Dijk
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 14 September 1989 – 1 September 1995
In office 3 June 1986 – 14 July 1986
In office 22 December 1977 – 12 March 1986
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born	Rudolf Willem de Korte (1936-07-08)8 July 1936 The Hague, Netherlands
Died	9 January 2020(2020-01-09) (aged 83) Wassenaar, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1959)
Spouse	Karin de Korte ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	1 son and 1 daughter
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Doctor of Science) Harvard University (Master of Business Administration) Cranfield University (Master of Business and Management)
Occupation	Politician · Chemist · Researcher · Businessman · Salesman · Banker · Corporate director · Nonprofit director

Rudolf Willem de Korte (born July 8, 1936 – died January 9, 2020) was a Dutch politician and businessman. He was a key member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). De Korte held important government jobs, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs.

Early Life and Education

Rudolf de Korte was born in The Hague, Netherlands. He went to the Maerlant Gymnasium from 1948 to 1954. After school, he studied Chemistry at Leiden University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957. Later, he received a Master of Science degree with honors in 1961. He then became a researcher and earned a doctorate in Chemistry in 1964.

De Korte also studied business at two famous universities. He went to Harvard University in the United States. There, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1964. He also studied at Cranfield University in England. From there, he received a Master of Business and Management degree, also in 1964.

Career in Business

After finishing his studies, Rudolf de Korte worked for Unilever. This is a very large company that makes many different products. He worked as a salesman for Unilever from 1964 to 1977. During this time, he lived and worked in different countries. He was in Hong Kong from 1964 to 1966. Then he moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1966 to 1968. After that, he became a corporate director for Unilever until 1977.

Political Journey

Rudolf de Korte was very active in politics. He helped manage the election campaigns for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in 1972 and 1977.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1977, De Korte became a Member of the House of Representatives. This is like being a member of parliament. He took office on December 22, 1977. In this role, he spoke for his party on topics like economic affairs and social affairs.

Serving as Minister

In 1986, De Korte was appointed Minister of the Interior. He started this job on March 12, 1986. This was in the first government led by Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers.

After the 1986 election, De Korte returned to the House of Representatives. He became a Member again on June 3, 1986.

Leading the VVD Party

The leader of the VVD party, Ed Nijpels, decided to step down after the 1986 election. The party asked Rudolf de Korte to become the new leader. He accepted and became the leader of the VVD on July 9, 1986.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs

Soon after, De Korte was given two very important jobs. He became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs. He started these roles on July 14, 1986, in the second government of Prime Minister Lubbers.

In December 1986, De Korte decided to step down as party leader. He was replaced by Joris Voorhoeve. The government he was part of, the Cabinet Lubbers II, ended in May 1989. This happened because of a disagreement about taxes.

After the 1989 election, De Korte returned to the House of Representatives once more. He continued to work on economic and financial matters for his party.

Later Career at European Investment Bank

In 1995, Rudolf de Korte was chosen for an important international role. He became a vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). This bank helps fund projects in Europe. He left his job as a Member of the House of Representatives to take on this new role. He served as vice president from September 1, 1995, until June 30, 2000.

Later, he also served as the Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the European Investment Bank. He held this position from 2001 to 2012.

Awards and Honors

Rudolf de Korte received several important awards from different countries for his work. These honors recognized his contributions in politics and public service. Some of the notable awards he received include:

• The Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II from Belgium (1986).
• The Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown from Luxembourg (1988).
• The Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Netherlands (1989).
• The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit from Portugal (1998).
• The Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour from France (2000).
• The Knight Commander of the Order of Merit from Germany (2001).
• The Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion from the Netherlands (2012).