Henk Kamp

His Excellency
Henk Kamp

Henk Kamp in 2015
Minister of Economic Affairs
Assumed office
5 November 2012
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Preceded by Maxime Verhagen
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
In office
14 October 2010  5 November 2012
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Preceded by Piet Hein Donner
Succeeded by Lodewijk Asscher
Governor of the Caribbean Netherlands
In office
1 January 2009  10 October 2010
Monarch Beatrix
Preceded by New creation
Succeeded by Hans Gerritsen
Minister of Defence
In office
12 December 2002  22 February 2007
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by Benk Korthals
Succeeded by Eimert van Middelkoop
Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
In office
22 July 2002  27 May 2003
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by Jan Pronk
Succeeded by Sybilla Dekker
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
30 November 2006  18 December 2008
In office
30 January 2003  27 May 2003
In office
17 May 1994  22 July 2002
Personal details
Born Henricus Gregorius Jozeph Kamp
(1952-07-23) 23 July 1952
Hengelo, Netherlands
Nationality Dutch
Political party People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (since 1972)
Spouse(s) Linda Kamp (since 1975)
Children 1 son and 1 daughter
Residence Diepenheim, Netherlands
Occupation Politician
Civil servant
Tax collector
Website (English) Ministry of Economic Affairs

Henricus Gregorius Jozeph "Henk" Kamp (Dutch pronunciation: [ɦɛnˈrikəs xreːˈɣoːriəs ˈjoːzəf ɦɛŋk kɑmp];[1] born 23 July 1952) is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He is the Minister of Economic Affairs in the Cabinet Rutte II since 5 November 2012.

Kamp previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from 17 May 1994 until 22 July 2002 when he became Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the Cabinet Balkenende I. Kamp became acting Minister of Defence following the resignation of Benk Korthals on 12 December 2002 and remained as Minister of Defence in the successive Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He was succeeded as Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment on 27 May 2003 by Sybilla Dekker at the inauguration of the Cabinet Balkenende II. After the Dutch general election of 2006 the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy became an opposition party and Kamp returned to the House of Representatives on 30 November 2006. He stepped down as a Member of the House of Representatives on 18 December 2008 after he was named as Commissioner for the Netherlands Antilles to supervise the dissolution of the Islands, he took office on 1 January 2009 and left 10 October 2010 the day the Netherlands Antilles was officially dissolved. Following the Dutch general election of 2010 the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy became the largest party in the House of Representatives and after the cabinet formation the Cabinet Rutte I was formed with Kamp becoming Minister of Social Affairs and Employment on 14 October 2010. After the Dutch general election of 2012 the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy remained the largest party in the House of Representatives and Kamp was asked to make preparations for a new cabinet formation, Kamp and former Leader of the Labour Party Wouter Bos became informateurs for the Cabinet Rutte II and Kamp became Minister of Economic Affairs and took office on 5 November 2012.

Early life

Henricus Gregorius Jozeph Kamp was born on 23 July 1952 in Hengelo in the Netherlands Province of Overijssel in a Roman Catholic family. He left the Roman Catholic faith years later and became a Humanist. After completing his HAVO diploma he worked at two wholesalers in Enschede, Borculo and Tilburg until 1977. From 1977 to 1980 he attended the auditors training at the Tax Training in Utrecht. He worked as an investigator for the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) until 1986.

Politics

From 1976 to 1994 he was a member of the municipal council in Borculo. From 1986 he was in also alderman in Borculo. From 1987 to 1994 he was a member of the Provincial Council of Gelderland. He became a Member of the House of Representatives on 17 May 1994. On 22 July 2002, Kamp became Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment. He was Minister of Defence from December 12, 2002 till 22 February 2007. After early elections where held as a result of parliamentary agreements following the formation of the minority cabinet Balkenende III. As part of his "farewell tour" as Minister of Defence, Henk Kamp visited the Dutch troops in Afghanistan and paid his respects to president Hamid Karzai. President Karzai awarded Henk Kamp the High State Medal of Ghazi Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan.[2] Kamp left the House of Representatives on 1 January 2009 to head the transformation of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius to special municipalities within the Netherlands.

On 13 September 2012, the day after the parliamentary elections, Kamp was asked to prepare for the formation of a new cabinet and had exploratory conversations with several parties. Already on that very day the Parliamentary leaders in the House of Representatives met with the President of the House of Representatives Gerdi Verbeet. His opinion after the talks was to start a formation on a coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Labour Party with himself and former Leader of the Labour Party Wouter Bos as informateurs. The formation resulted in the forming of the Cabinet Rutte II and Kamp became Minister of Economic Affairs and took office on 5 November 2012. After the resignation of Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten on 10 March 2015, Kamp became the senior member of the Council of Ministers and the third highest-ranking member after Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher.

Early February 2016 Kamp announced his retirement from national politics as of the 2017 elections.[3]

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
Officer of the Order of Oranje-Nassau Netherlands 11 April 2007
Grand Cordon 1st Class of the Order of the Rising Sun Japan 24 October 2014[4]

References

  1. In isolation, Gregorius is pronounced [ɣreːˈɣoːriəs].
  2. (English) Minister awards Afghan president clogs, Dutchnews.nl, 13 February 2007
  3. "Henk Kamp kondigt afscheid van Den Haag aan" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  4. (Japanese) Foreign honours recipients 2014, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 24 October 2014

Media related to Henk Kamp at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by
Jan Pronk
Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
2002–2003
Succeeded by
Sybilla Dekker
Preceded by
Benk Korthals
Minister of Defence
2003–2007
Succeeded by
Eimert van Middelkoop
New creation Governor of the Caribbean Netherlands
2009–2010
Succeeded by
Hans Gerritsen
Preceded by
Piet Hein Donner
Minister of Social Affairs
2010–2012
Succeeded by
Lodewijk Asscher
Preceded by
Maxime Verhagen
Minister of Economic Affairs
2012–present
Incumbent


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