Maxime Verhagen

His Excellency Maxime Verhagen
Maxime Verhagen in 2010
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	André Rouvoet
Succeeded by	Lodewijk Asscher
Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation of the Netherlands
In office 14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Maria van der Hoeven (as Minister of Economic Affairs) Gerda Verburg (as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality)
Succeeded by	Henk Kamp (as Minister for Economic Affairs)
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal
In office 9 June 2010 – 30 June 2012
Preceded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Succeeded by	Sybrand van Haersma Buma
Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands
In office 23 February 2010 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Bert Koenders
Succeeded by	Lilianne Ploumen (as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
In office 22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Ben Bot
Succeeded by	Uri Rosenthal
Parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands
In office 17 June 2010 – 14 October 2010
Preceded by	Pieter van Geel
Succeeded by	Sybrand van Haersma Buma
In office 21 May 2003 – 30 November 2006
Preceded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Succeeded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
In office 11 July 2002 – 30 January 2003
Preceded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Succeeded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands
In office 17 June 2010 – 14 October 2010
In office 17 May 1994 – 22 February 2007
Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands
In office 24 July 1989 – 19 July 1994
Personal details
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	European People's Party
Spouse(s)	Annemieke Beijlevelt (m. 1984)
Children	2 sons and 1 daughter
Residence	Voorburg, Netherlands
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts)
Occupation	Politician Civil servant
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen (Dutch pronunciation: [mɑˈksim ʒɑk mɑrˈsɛɫ vərˈɦaːɣə(n)]; born 14 September 1956) is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Verhagen a civil servant by occupation, was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the European People's Party after the European Parliament election of 1989 serving from 25 July 1989 until 19 July 1994. He was elected as Member of the House of Representatives after the Dutch general election of 1994 taking office 17 May 1994. When the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Jan Peter Balkenende became Prime Minister Verhagen succeed him as the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives on 11 July 2002. During the Cabinets Balkenende I, II en III Verhagen became the unofficial Deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal. He became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Balkenende IV serving from 22 February 2007 to 14 October 2010, he also served as Minister for Development Cooperation following the resignation from Bert Koenders. After the Dutch general election of 2010 Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Jan Peter Balkenende resigned and Verhagen became the new Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal and the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives. After the 2010 Dutch cabinet formation Verhagen and the Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Mark Rutte made a coalition agreement with the Party for Freedom (PVV). Verhagen became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation in the Cabinet Rutte I and served from 14 October 2010 until 5 November 2012

Verhagen retired from active politics at the age of fifty-six and became Chairman of the Construction Trade Association on 1 July 2013.

Early life and education

Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen was born on 14 September 1956 in Maastricht in the Netherlands Province of Limburg in a Roman Catholic family. He studied at Leiden University where he obtained an Master of Arts degree in History in 1986. For a brief period during his college years, Verhagen was associated with both left-wing radicalism and the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He joined the CDA in 1976.

Politics

Verhagen started working for the CDA and was elected to the city council of Oegstgeest. He served as a Member of the European Parliament from 25 July 1989 to 19 July 1994. On 17 May 1994, he was elected to the House of Representatives of the Netherlands. On 11 July 2002 he became CDA parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives. After became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the fourth Balkenende cabinet in 2007, he was succeeded in that position by Pieter van Geel. After the resignation of the Labour Party ministers, he became interim Minister for Development Cooperation.

The Christian Democratic Appeal did badly in the general election of 2010, and the then Christian Democratic Appeal Party leader and Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, resigned the same day. Verhagen replaced him as leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal parliamentary party.

On 14 October 2010, he became the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Deputy Prime Minister in the First Rutte cabinet.

At the request of gay rights groups, Verhagen called upon the Nuncio to the Netherlands, Monsignor François Bacqué, to respond to accusations that the Roman Catholic Church opposed homosexual rights. He later expressed concern at the lifting of the excommunication of controversial bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Society of Saint Pius X. Despite the disaster in Fukushima Verhagen is pleading for more nuclear power stations in the Netherlands.

Personal

Verhagen is married to Annemieke Beijlevelt since 1984 and has 2 sons and 1 daughter. They live in Voorburg.

Decorations

National military decorations
Ribbon bar	Honour	Date & Comment
	Decoration of Merit in Gold	2012
National honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Date & Comment
	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	7 December 2012
Foreign honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Date & Comment
	Grand Officer of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins (Chile)	2007

External links

Official

• (Dutch) Drs. M.J.M. (Maxime) Verhagen Parlement & Politiek

Party political offices
Preceded by Jan Peter Balkenende	Parliamentary Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands 2002–2003	Succeeded by Jan Peter Balkenende
	Parliamentary Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands 2003–2006
Preceded by Pieter van Geel	Parliamentary Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands 2010	Succeeded by Sybrand van Haersma Buma
Preceded by Jan Peter Balkenende	Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal 2010–2012
Government offices
Preceded by Ben Bot	Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands 2007–2010	Succeeded by Uri Rosenthal
Preceded by Bert Koenders	Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands 2010	Vacant Title next held by Lilianne Ploumen as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
Preceded by Maria van der Hoeven as Minister of Economic Affairs	Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation of the Netherlands 2010–2012	Succeeded by Henk Kamp as Minister of Economic Affairs
Preceded by Gerda Verburg as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
Political offices
Preceded by André Rouvoet	Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands 2010–2012	Succeeded by Lodewijk Asscher
Business positions
Preceded by Elco Brinkman	Chairman of the Construction Trade Association 2013–present	Incumbent