Gerard P. van den Anker (born 18 March 1972) is a Dutch politician, who served as a member of theHouse of Representatives between January and March 2021. He is a member of theChristian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
A fruit grower, Van den Anker became involved in local politics inMaasdriel in 1999, when he was elected to its municipal council. He later also served asalderman and deputy mayor until he retired from Maasdriel politics in 2018. Van den Anker subsequently became chair of the Nederlandse Fruittelers Organisatie (Dutch fruit growers association) and a member of theRivierenland water board.
He was born in 1972 in theGelderland villageHedel as the son of Cor van den Anker, who served as analderman in that village.[5][6] Van den Anker went to an agrarian school inTiel to become a fruit grower, and he has a fruit farm together with his father and uncle in Hedel, where they mainly growConference pears.[7] During his political career, he would keep working there.[8]
When a few municipalities were about to merge to formMaasdriel in 1999, a special election was held to determine its nineteen municipal councilors. Van den Anker appeared as the fourteenth candidate on the CDA'sparty list, and was elected due to his over 300preferential votes.[9] He was installed in January 1999. He became a member of the social affairs, education, and recreation committee.[10] Van den Anker was appointed part-time alderman of social affairs after the2002 election and simultaneously left the municipal council. When alderman Kees Leenders departed his position in July 2005, Van den Anker started working full-time as alderman, became deputy mayor, and added spatial planning and housing to his portfolio. Previously, he also worked at a marketing and secondment agency.[11] He remained alderman and deputy mayor after the2006 election, during which he was his party'slijsttrekker.[5][12]
Van den Anker became chairman of thehousing corporation De Goede Woning –Neerijnen next to his job as alderman in 2008.[13] In his municipality, he unsuccessfully proposed widening theA2 motorway to four lanes in both directions, although the council supported the idea.[14] Van den Anker was also involved in plans to redevelopKerkdriel's town center.[15] After the2010 election in Maasdriel, the CDA did not become part of themunicipal executive.[16] Van den Anker returned to the municipal council, as he was again elected as his party'slijsttrekker.[17] He also ran for member of theStates of Gelderland in 2011, appearing fifteenth on the party list, but did not manage to win a seat.[18]
Van den Anker was once again re-elected as CDA'slijsttrekker in 2014 and returned as alderman of spatial planning and deputy mayor in the new municipal executive.[19][20][21] In 2016, he left De Goede Woning – Neerijnen, and he announced in 2017 that he would not run for re-election the following year.[22][23] When he left as alderman in May 2018, Van den Anker received the first Maasdriel honorary medal for his years in local politics. He became the chair of the Nederlandse Fruittelers Organisatie (Dutch fruit growers association) in June 2018.[24] He also participated in the2019 water board election inRivierenland as the second candidate on CDA's party list, thus becoming a member of the board.[25] Van den Anker would also serve as the leader of the CDA on that body, and he did not run forre-election in 2023.[26][27]
He ran for member of parliament (MP) in the2017 general election, but was not elected. He was 25th on the CDA's party list and received 2,815 preferential votes.[28] Van den Anker became a member of the House of Representatives in January 2021, when MPMichel Rog left the House to focus on his new job as alderman in Haarlem.[29] The 24th candidate on the CDA's party list in 2017, Stijn Steenbakkers, had declined to succeed him.[30] Due to his appointment, Van den Anker temporarily left his position at the Dutch fruit growers association, but he remained a member of the water board.[29] In the House, he served on the Committee for Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality.[6] His term ended at the end of March after the2021 general election.
He became the president of the Coöperatieve Tuinbouwveiling Zaltbommel en Omstreken (Cooperative horticulture auction house Zaltbommel and environs) in February 2022 and simultaneously left the Nederlandse Fruittelers Organisatie.[31] Van den Anker worked to digitize theauction house's clock.[32]
^Van den Anker, Gerard (12 March 2019)."NFO-voorzitter Van den Anker: 'Fruittelers te bescheiden'" [NFO chair Van den Anker: 'Fruit growers are too modest'].Nieuwe Oogst (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Haijo Dodde. Retrieved15 January 2021.
^Van Driel, Marieta (19 November 1998). "Voorkeurstem zorgt voor verrassing raad Maasdriel" [Preferential votes cause surprise in Maasdriel council].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch).
^"Zaltbommel en Maasdriel benoemen commissies" [Zaltbommel and Maasdriel appoint committee members].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). 8 January 1999.
^"CDA kiest kroonprins Van den Anker" [CDA chooses crown prince Van den Anker].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). 25 June 2005.
^Cattel, Bert (9 March 2006). "Analyse: CDA Maasdriel kan partners uitzoeken" [Analysis: CDA Maasdriel could choose partners].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch).
^"Van den Anker voorzitter van Goede Woning" [Van den Anker chair Goede Woning].De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 18 July 2008. p. B04.
^"Rijkswaterstaat vindt 4 rijbanen op A2 onnodig" [Rijkswaterstaat thinks four lanes are unnecessary for the A2 motorway].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). 7 April 2009.
^Buijs, Gert-Jan (30 May 2008). "Kerkdriel mag trots zijn op winkelhart" [Kerkdriel can be proud of its shopping center].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). p. B02.
^Steenbekkers, Annemiek (25 June 2010). "Coalitieakkoord VVD, SSM, PvdA" [Coalition agreement VVD, SSM, PvdA].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch).
^Buijs, Gert-Jan (6 March 2010). "Nummers 1 ook dé stemmentrekkers" [Numbers 1 also attract most votes].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch).
^"Kandidaat-Statenleden uit Rivierenland" [Candidates for states-provincial member from Rivierenland].De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 2 March 2011.
^Steenbekkers, Annemiek (24 March 2014). "Duidelijke taal van kiezer" [Clear language from voters].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch).
^"Onderscheiding Johan Toonen" [Award Johan Toonen].Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). 19 May 2014.
Bold indicates theparliamentary leader (first mentioned) and theSpeaker; (Brackets) indicate a temporarily absent member; Italics indicate a temporary member; ‹Guillemets› indicate a member who has left the House of Representatives
