Henk Kamp

Who is Henk Kamp?

Henricus Gregorius Jozeph "Henk" Kamp is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He is the Minister of Economic Affairs in the Cabinet Rutte II since November 5, 2012.

He previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until July 22, 2002 when he became Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the Cabinet Balkenende I. Kamp became acting Minister of Defense following the resignation of Benk Korthals on December 12, 2002 and remained as Minister of Defense in the successive Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He was succeeded as Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment on May 27, 2003 by Sybilla Dekker at the inauguration of the Cabinet Balkenende II. After the Dutch general election of 2006 the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy became an opposition party and Kamp returned to the House of Representatives on November 30, 2006. He stepped down as a Member of the House of Representatives on December 18, 2008 after he was named as Commissioner of the Netherlands Antilles to lead the Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, he took office on January 1, 2009 and left October 10, 2010 the day the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved. Following the Dutch general election of 2010 the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy has become the largest party in the House of Representatives and after the cabinet formation the Cabinet Rutte I was been formed and Kamp became Minister of Social Affairs and Employment on October 14, 2010. After the Dutch general election of 2012 the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy remain the largest party in the House of Representatives and Kamp was asked to make preparations for a new cabinet formation, Kamp and former Labour Party leader Wouter Bos became informateurs for the Cabinet Rutte II and Kamp became Minister of Economic Affairs and took office on November 5, 2012.