Carola Schouten

Carola Schouten
Schouten in 2017
Mayor of Rotterdam
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 October 2024
Preceded byAhmed Aboutaleb
Third Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office
26 October 2017 – 2 July 2024
Prime MinisterMark Rutte
Preceded byLodewijk Asscher
(Deputy PM)
Succeeded byEddy van Hijum
Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions
In office
10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024
Prime MinisterMark Rutte
Preceded byDennis Wiersma
Succeeded byJurgen Nobel
Minister of Agriculture,
Nature and Food Quality
In office
26 October 2017 – 10 January 2022
Prime MinisterMark Rutte
Preceded byHenk Kamp
(as Minister of Economic Affairs)
Succeeded byHenk Staghouwer
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
31 March 2021 – 18 January 2022
Preceded byStieneke van der Graaf
In office
18 May 2011 – 26 October 2017
Preceded byAndré Rouvoet
Succeeded byStieneke van der Graaf
Personal details
Born
Cornelia Johanna Schouten

(1977-10-06) 6 October 1977 (age 47)
's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Political partyChristian Union
Children1
Residence(s)Rotterdam, Netherlands
Alma materErasmus University Rotterdam
(Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration)
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant
WebsiteMinister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

Cornelia Johanna "Carola" Schouten (Dutch pronunciation: [kaːˈroːlaː ˈsxʌutə(n)]; born 6 October 1977) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Union (CU). She was Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Third Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2022. She continued to serve as Third Deputy Prime Minister in the fourth Rutte cabinet alongside her position as Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions until July 2024.[1] On 10 October 2024, Schouten became the mayor of Rotterdam succeeding Ahmed Aboutaleb.[2]

Early life and education

A native of 's-Hertogenbosch, Schouten grew up in Waardhuizen, managing her deceased father's dairy farm with her mother and her two sisters for four years, after which time the family ended the farming activities and moved to neighbouring village of Giessen[3] (Waardhuizen and Giessen are nowadays located in the new municipality of Altena).

She attended Altena College in Sleeuwijk and studied business administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam with a year abroad at Tel Aviv University. Schouten worked at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment from 2000 to 2006. Subsequently, she was an assistant to the Christian Union parliamentary group, entering into politics.

Political career

Schouten became a member of the House of Representatives in 2011 upon the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister André Rouvoet.[4] In parliament, she served as her group's spokesperson on financial policy.[5]

Schouten and party leader Gert-Jan Segers participated in the negotiations of forming the third Rutte cabinet, which she entered as Deputy Prime Minister.[6] From autumn 2019 she faced farmers' protests because of government's measures involving decreasing the number of livestock. In 2020, Schouten suggested the EU should begin to adjust animal welfare regulations and limit live animal exports.[7] From 2021, she led efforts on legislation on reducing damaging ammonia pollution.[8]

In 2022, she introduced the Future Pensions Act into law.[9]

In July 2024, Schouten was nominated to become the mayor of Rotterdam, succeeding Ahmed Aboutaleb. She was sworn in on 10 October 2024.

Personal life

Schouten is single with a child and is a member of the Dutch Reformed Churches (previously the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated)). She lives in Rotterdam. Her younger sister Marjan van der Meij-Schouten is a member of the municipal council of Altena, like her older sister on behalf of the Christian Union.[10][11]

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^ "Vicepremier Carola Schouten (CU) heeft haar wortels in het boerenbedrijf" (in Dutch). NOS Nieuws. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Carola Schouten vanaf vandaag officieel burgemeester van Rotterdam". NU.nl. Oct 10, 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  3. ^ Ze schreeuwen het niet van de daken, maar Waardhuizen is trots op vice-premier Carola Schouten, Brabants Dagblad, 23 October 2017
  4. ^ Drs. C.J. (Carola) Schouten, Parlement.com
  5. ^ Matt Steinglass (15 May 2013), Dutch uproar over Bulgarian benefit fraud Financial Policy.
  6. ^ "Carola Schouten (CU) leidt onderzoek naar lek". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  7. ^ Sophie Kevany (3 December 2020), England and Wales to ban live animal exports in European first The Guardian.
  8. ^ Senay Boztas (9 September 2021), Netherlands proposes radical plans to cut livestock numbers by almost a third The Guardian.
  9. ^ Pelgrim, Christiaan (2022-12-15). "Na bijna 15 jaar discussie geeft de Tweede Kamer groen licht voor de nieuwe pensioenwet". NRC. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  10. ^ "Municipal council of Altena". Archived from the original on 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  11. ^ De minister die in Brabant campagne komt voeren voor haar jongere zus: 'Heel speciaal', Omroep Brabant, 18 November 2018
  12. ^ King of Netherlands to visit Estonia next week - website of the Estionian public radio and television organisation Eesti Rahvusringhääling
  13. ^ 265. Riiklike autasude andmine - website of the President of Estonia
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carola Schouten.
Official
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister
2017–2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded byas Minister of Economic Affairs Minister of Agriculture,
Nature and Food Quality
2017–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded byas State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions
2022–2024 		Succeeded byas State Secretary for Participation and Integration
Preceded by Mayor of Rotterdam
2024–present 		Incumbent