Kees van der Staaij | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of the Reformed Political Party | |
| In office 27 March 2010 – 25 August 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Bas van der Vlies |
| Succeeded by | Chris Stoffer |
| Leader of theReformed Political Party in theHouse of Representatives | |
| In office 10 May 2010 – 25 August 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Bas van der Vlies |
| Succeeded by | Chris Stoffer |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
| In office 19 May 1998 – 5 December 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cornelis Gerrit van der Staaij (1968-09-12)12 September 1968 (age 57) Vlaardingen, Netherlands |
| Political party | Reformed Political Party |
| Spouse | |
| Residence | Benthuizen |
| Alma mater | Leiden University (LLM) |
| Occupation | |
| Website | (in Dutch)Official website |
Cornelis Gerrit "Kees"van der Staaij (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈkeːsfɑndərˈstaːi];[a] born 12 September 1968) is a Dutch politician who served as a member of theHouse of Representatives from 1998 to 2023 andLeader of the Reformed Political Party (Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij, SGP) between 2010 and 2023.[1] As a parliamentarian, he focused on matters ofjudiciary,home affairs,Kingdom relations,foreign policy, theEuropean Union,development aid, thedefense,public health,welfare,sports,immigration andpolitical asylum. Van der Staaij had been the longest running member of the House of Representatives from 2017 until 2023.
Van der Staaij was born inVlaardingen, a city in the province ofSouth Holland. His father was acivil servant in the municipalityMaartensdijk.
He went to twoReformedprimary schools inVlaardingen (1974–1979) andGeldermalsen (1979–1980) and to a Reformedsecondary school inAmersfoort (1980–1986). He studied law atLeiden University, specialising inconstitutional andadministrative law.
Van der Staaij was attracted to politics and became a member of the Reformed Political Party in 1986.
After several jobs at theCouncil of State, he was elected to theHouse of Representatives in1998. In 2010 he becameparty leader as well asparliamentary leader in both cases succeedingBas van der Vlies. He led his party aslead candidate in the2010,2012 and2017 general elections.[2]
Van der Staaij is considered one of the most conservative and right-wing political leaders in the Netherlands. He signed the anti-LGBTQINashville Statement and supportedanti-abortion organisations, making sure such organisations were granted more subsidies. Before the2012 Dutch general election, when asked whether he agreed withTodd Akin'scomments on "legitimate rape" and pregnancy, he said "it is a fact" that women "seldom" become pregnant after being raped.[3] He and his party focus on the importance of faith and community in society and frequently advocate for theocracy.[4]
Van der Staaij again served as lead candidate for the SGP in the2021 general election.[5] The SGP won 3 out of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.[6] Van der Staaij announced that he would not seekre-election in November 2023.[7] He succeededMarja van Bijsterveldt as special envoy for the maritime industry, advising theMinister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, in February 2024, and he returned to the Council of State in June 2024 as a state councilor in its advisory division.[8][9]
| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 1998 | House of Representatives | Reformed Political Party | 3 | 2,250 | 3 | Won | ||
| 2002 | House of Representatives | 2 | 7,107 | 2 | Won | |||
| 2003 | House of Representatives | 2 | 8,060 | 2 | Won | |||
| 2006 | House of Representatives | 2 | 5,878 | 2 | Won | |||
| 2010 | House of Representatives | 1 | 152,493 | 2 | Won | |||
| 2012 | House of Representatives | 1 | 182,189 | 3 | Won | |||
| 2017 | House of Representatives | 1 | 196,205 | 3 | Won | |||
| 2021 | House of Representatives | 1 | 193,605 | 3 | Won | |||
| 2024 | European Parliament | 39[b] | 9,276 | 1 | Lost | [10] | ||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Leader of the Reformed Political Party 2010–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Leader of theReformed Political Party in theHouse of Representatives 2010–2023 | ||
