Maxime Verhagen

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

Maxime Verhagen
Maxime Verhagen in 2012
Member of the Social and Economic Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 October 2015
Chair	Mariëtte Hamer
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
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 of 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
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 (2012)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Ben Bot
Succeeded by	Uri Rosenthal
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives
In office 17 June 2010 – 14 October 2010
Preceded by	Pieter van Geel
Succeeded by	Sybrand van Haersma Buma
In office 9 February 2007 – 22 February 2007
Preceded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Succeeded by	Pieter van Geel
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
In office 17 June 2010 – 14 October 2010
In office 17 May 1994 – 22 February 2007
Member of the European Parliament
In office 25 July 1989 – 19 July 1994
Constituency	Netherlands
Personal details
Born	Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen (1956-09-14) 14 September 1956 Maastricht, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
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 · Historian · Corporate director · Trade association executive · Political consultant · Management consultant · Researcher · Lobbyist

Verhagen attended the Sint-Maartenscollege in Maastricht from June 1969 until June 1975 and applied at the Leiden University in June 1975 majoring in Modern history and obtaining an Bachelor of Arts degree in July 1977 and worked as a student researcher before graduating with an Master of Arts degree in July 1986. Verhagen served on the Municipal Council of Oegstgeest from May 1982 until July 1989 and worked as a political consultant for the Christian Democratic Appeal from February 1986 until July 1989.

Verhagen was elected as a Member of the European Parliament after the European Parliamentary election of 1989, taking office on 25 July 1989. Verhagen was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1994, taking office on 17 May 1994 and he subsequently resigned as a Member of the European Parliament on 19 July 1994. After the election of 2002 the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal and Parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives Jan Peter Balkenende became Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende I and Verhagen was selected as his successor as Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 11 July 2002. After the election of 2003 Balkenende returned as Parliamentary leader on 30 January 2003 but following the cabinet formation of 2003 he remained as Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende II and Verhagen again took over as Parliamentary leader, taking office on 21 May 2003. After the election of 2006 Balkenende again returned as Parliamentary leader on 30 November 2006 but stepped down and Verhagen again took over as Parliamentary leader, taking office on 9 February 2007. Following the cabinet formation of 2006 Verhagen was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Balkenende IV, taking office on 22 February 2007. The Cabinet Balkenende IV fell on 20 February 2010 after tensions in the coalition over the extension of the Dutch involvement in the Task Force Urozgan of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity with Verhagen continuing as Minister of Foreign Affairs and also took over as Minister for Development Cooperation, taking office on 23 February 2010.

After the election of 2010 the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal and incumbent Prime Minister Balkenende announced he was stepping down as Leader following the defeat in the election, the Christian Democratic Appeal leadership approached Verhagen who had been serving as the de facto Deputy Leader as his successor, Verhagen accepted and became the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal, taking office on 9 June 2010 and subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary leader, taking office on 17 June 2010. The Following cabinet formation of 2010 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with Confidence and supply from the Party for Freedom (PVV) which formed the Cabinet Rutte I with Verhagen appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, taking office on 14 October 2010. The Cabinet Rutte I fell on 23 April 2012 after tensions in the coalition over the Euro convergence criteria and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. In May 2012 Verhagen announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 2012. The Cabinet Rutte I was replaced by the Cabinet Rutte II following the cabinet formation of 2012 on 5 November 2012.

Verhagen retired after spending 23 years in national politics and became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (VDL Groep, SABIC and the DSM Company). In June 2013 Verhagen was appointed as a trade association executive for the Construction association serving as Chairman since 1 July 2013 and became a Member of the Social and Economic Council, taking office on 1 October 2015.[1] [2]