Barry Madlener | |
|---|---|
 Madlener in 2017 | |
| Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management | |
| Assumed office 2 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Dick Schoof |
| Preceded by | Mark Harbers |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
| In office 20 September 2012 – 2 July 2024 | |
| Succeeded by | Folkert Thiadens |
| In office 30 November 2006 – 14 July 2009 | |
| Leader of theParty for Freedom in theEuropean Parliament | |
| In office 14 July 2009 – 19 September 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Laurence Stassen |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 14 July 2009 – 19 September 2012 | |
| Constituency | Netherlands |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1969-01-06)January 6, 1969 (age 56) Leiden,Netherlands |
| Political party | Party for Freedom |
| Other political affiliations | Livable Rotterdam |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Rockanje |
| Occupation | Politician Estate agent |
Barry Madlener (born 6 January 1969) is a Dutch politician, who has served asMinister of Infrastructure and Water Management in theSchoof cabinet since July 2024. A member of theParty for Freedom (PVV), he was first elected to theHouse of Representativesin 2006. He became the PVV's leader in theEuropean Parliament following the2009 election. Madlener resigned from that position to again serve in the House of Representatives from the2012 general election until 2024.
During his youth, Madlener lived in the south seaside village ofOostvoorne with his parents and older sister. He later moved toRotterdam for his studies. After graduating from high school he became a real estate agent and spent a number of years selling commercial real estate. On 14 March 2002 he was inaugurated as a member of themunicipal council ofRotterdam forLivable Rotterdam, a position he held until 2007.[1] Together with Kay van der Linde he was also involved in establishing theLivable Netherlands political party.
At the 2002 municipal election, Madlener was listed eleventh on theLivable Rotterdam list, the local party whose leaderPim Fortuyn wasassassinated later that year. Madlener was considered a confidant of Fortuyn. The party won 17 seats in these historical elections on 6 March 2002. As a municipal councillor Madlener was infrastructure spokesman. In that function he was an outspoken supporter of the construction of a campus at theErasmus University Rotterdam. He was also in favour of prohibiting municipal civil servants wearing aveil. He put forward two proposals: a proposal to prohibit carrying religious symbols for all civil servants, as well as a second proposal to the same effect for teachers and support staff at schools. He also stated thatphysical education at Muslim schools should be a mixed gender class.
Elected to theHouse of Representatives in the2006 general election, he was placed seventh on theParty for Freedom list led byGeert Wilders. It was the first general election in which the party participated.[1] Madlener resigned as a Rotterdam municipal councillor on 1 July 2007. He led the PVV in the2009 European Parliament election before returning to the House of Representatives following the2012 election. He became the PVV's spokesperson for infrastructure after the2017 general election, and his specialty has been housing following theNovember 2023 election.[2] Over the years, he has advocated merging passenger railway operatorNederlandse Spoorwegen and railway infrastructure management organizationProRail, and he has opposed establishing an international rail connection betweenEindhoven andAachen in Germany.[1]
After the PVV,VVD,NSC, andBBB formed theSchoof cabinet, Madlener was sworn in as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management on 2 July 2024.[1][3]
In its governing agreement, the cabinet committed to limiting air traffic movements from and toAmsterdam Airport Schiphol, to reduce noise pollution for local residents by 20% over time. In his final plan, Madlener proposed to reduce air traffic movements to 478,000 in 2025, down from 500,000, which would result in a 15% noise pollution reduction. The House later urged Madlener, without success, to stick to a 17% reduction, which had been agreed to before.[4][5][6] Responding to unsafe situations and nuisance caused by electricfatbikes, the House passed amotion by the VVD and NSC calling on Madlener to set a minimum driving age of 14 and torequire helmets. He did not comply with the demand, arguing that fatbikes could not easily be distinguished from other electric bicycles and that they do not come with increased risk.[7][8][9]
Madlener worked with provinces and water companies on plans to ensure the reliable supply ofpotable water, following warnings of a potential future shortage. They agreed in January 2025 to closely cooperate to select and more quickly develop newwater extraction sites.[10]
Madlener has been a long-time resident of theSouth Holland village ofRockanje.[11] He met his wife inBrussels, and their son was born in 2013.[12][13]
| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2006 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 7 | 344 | 9 | Won | [14] | |
| 2009 | European Parliament | Party for Freedom | 1 | 382,610 | 4 | Won | [15] | |
| 2010 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 47[a] | 260 | 24 | Lost | [16] | |
| 2012 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 8 | 829 | 15 | Won | [17] | |
| 2017 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 7 | 987 | 20 | Won | [18] | |
| 2021 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 10 | 532 | 17 | Won | [19] | |
| 2023 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 12 | 693 | 37 | Won | [20] | |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by First | Parliamentary leader of theParty for Freedom inEuropean Parliament 2009–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Christian Democratic Appeal | |
|---|---|
| Party for Freedom | |
| Labour Party | |
| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
| Democrats 66 | |
| GroenLinks | |
| Socialist Party | |
| Christian Union – Reformed Political Party | |
| Independent (members who left their parties) | |
