Jozias van Aartsen

Who is Jozias van Aartsen?

Jozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He has been the Mayor of The Hague since 27 March 2008.

Van Aartsen previously served as the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality from 22 August 1994 until 3 August 1998 in the Cabinet Kok I. He became a Member of the House of Representatives for a short period serving from 19 May 1998 until 3 August 1998 following the Dutch general election of 1998. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 3 August 1998 until 22 July 2002 in the Cabinet Kok II. He returned to the Member of the House of Representatives serving from 23 May 2002 until 30 November 2006, when the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Party leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Gerrit Zalm became Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende II.

Van Aartsen became the Parliamentary leader serving from 27 May 2003 until 8 March 2006. After disagreeing with Zalm about his position that the Party leader shouldn't be a member of the cabinet unless that person is the Prime Minister, the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives should be the Party leader. After months of discussions and arguing, Van Aartsen took over as Party leader from Zalm in all but name. After poor results in the Dutch municipal elections of 2006 he stepped down as Parliamentary leader and was temporally succeeded by Willibrord van Beek, until the election of Mark Rutte as the new Parliamentary leader and Party leader.