Wim Kok
Willem ( Wim ) Kok ( born September 29, 1938 in Bergambacht ) is a Dutch politician ( Social Democrat ) and was from 1994 to 2002 Minister of two successive cabinets - the paarse private offices ( Purple cabinets ) or " Kok I" and " Kok II". This refers to was the cooperation of the Social Democrats with two liberal parties.
Life
After his education at the University of Economics Nijenrode, the only private university in the Netherlands, and the completion of his military service Kok worked for a short time in a foreign trade office.
Wim Kok started his career with the union Bouwbond NPT (Construction), where he was first secretary and later became chairman. 1986-1989 he was a leader of the Partij van de Arbeid ( PvdA) in the Second Chamber.
1989-1994 he was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the second and third cabinet of Ruud Lubbers. He was elected Chairman of the Socialist International in 1989. He was also Vice Chairman of the Sociaal - Economische Raad (SER ), workers Chairman of Stichting van de Arbeid ( Labour Foundation ), a body that advises the government on social policy and which employees and employers are equally represented, Vice Chairman of the Dutch Central Bank and guest lecturer at the Institute for Social Studies and consultant to the European Commission.
Of 22 August 1994 to 22 July 2002, he was Prime Minister of the first and second Kok cabinet.
2001 coke dealing with the issue Zorreguieta was highly praised. The father of Maxima Zorreguieta - the future queen - was very controversial because of its ambiguous role during the Argentine dictatorship of Videla in the Netherlands.
On Tuesday, April 16, 2002, Kok and his entire second cabinet came a month back before the elections. So he took the political responsibility for the disastrous runny surgery Dutch UN peacekeepers of the UN Mission UNPROFOR, which led to the massacre of Srebrenica. Direct trigger for the resignation of coke were the results of the investigations of the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation ( NIOD ) the role of the Dutch soldiers who would have been responsible for actually protecting the public.
After the electoral defeat of 2002 Kok took leave from active politics; he had been a year previously announced this step.
Kok led during his time as finance minister a stringent austerity. He continued this course continued as prime minister. So could create new jobs and grow the economy. He succeeded the former PvdA and VVD opponents in the interest of citizens to move to co-operate and rehabilitate the finances. Citizens and firms were granted tax relief, which led to higher investment and economic growth. This led during the second Kok cabinet to a labor shortage. Especially in schools and hospitals, the staff was scarce. The result was many leisure hours for the students and often long waiting lists for operations. Important points of its two cabinets were on intangible area. Thus, the voluntary euthanasia was under his leadership further liberalized and introduced the marriage for homosexuals. In addition, in the economic field liberalization were carried out, for example in the energy sector and in the store opening times. Despite his leadership qualities and the great sympathy which enjoyed Wim Kok in large parts of the Dutch population, was at the end of his term an "anti - Paarse " mood felt, not only, but also by the appearance of Pim Fortuyn in the political arena. The second Kok cabinet had little success, especially in the last period in the solution of problems in the care and education; all this led to the election defeat of the Labour Party.
Kok is described as integer, sober and respected nationally and internationally. Sometimes Kok seemed to react a little too angry criticism.
Since April 11th, 2003 Minister Wim Kok van State. This honorary title is awarded in special cases by the Queen at the request of the Council of Ministers for life. The Minister van State are not members of the Council of Ministers, but can be asked in some situations by the Queen or the Cabinet for advice, for example, at a cabinet formation or complex constitutional issues.