Ad Melkert

Who is Ad Melkert?

Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from June 3, 1986 until August 22, 1994 when he became Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Kok I following the Dutch general election of 1994. At the end of the parliamentary period, he was not included in the Cabinet Kok II after the Dutch general election of 1998 by his own request, as he wanted to focus his energies on his candidacy to succeed Wim Kok as the next Party leader of the Labour Party. Melkert returned to the Member of the House of Representatives on July 13, 1998 and became the Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on July 13, 1998 and became the presumed de facto next Party leader of the Labour Party in all but name. He was elected the official Party leader of the Labour Party on December 15, 2001 and became the lijsttrekker for the Dutch general election of 2002. Melkert and Hans Dijkstal the Party leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy were the front runners to become the next Prime Minister, but the unexpected arrival of Pim Fortuyn of Livable Netherlands and later the Pim Fortuyn List, turned the polls. Fortuyn blamed the problems in the country on the Purple cabinets. Fortuyn depicted Melkert and Dijkstal as two bureaucrats who didn't understand the feelings and problems among the population. After a heated campaign a mere days before the election, Fortuyn was assassinated in Hilversum. The Labour Party suffered a landslide defeat in the election losing 23 seats, Melkert was blamed for the defeat primary because of his technocratic leadership in contrast to the more charismatic Fortuyn. During the election Fortuyn accused Melkert of the demonization of his character and personal integrity. After Fortuyn's assassination Melkert received death threats and sequentially left national politics. He resigned as Party leader of the Labour Party and Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on May 16, 2002 and gave up his seat in the House of Representatives on October 17, 2002.