mr. André Rouvoet

About André Rouvoet

Mr. André Rouvoet is a former politician, executive, and supervisor. Rouvoet has had a long career in politics. Even during his studies in legal and political philosophy, he became a faction employee of the RPF. At the age of 32, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives. In 2001, the RPF merged with the GPV to form the ChristenUnie. In November 2002, Rouvoet was elected as the faction leader. His party elected him as the lead candidate three times: for the parliamentary elections of 2003, 2006, and 2010.

In the Balkenende IV cabinet (2007-2010), under his leadership, the ChristenUnie came to power for the first time. He became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Youth & Family. Important focal points of his ministry included establishing Centers for Youth and Family, introducing the Child-Related Budget, and combating child abuse. At the end of his ministerial term, he initiated the reform of youth care, transferring responsibility for youth care from the provinces to the municipalities.

In May 2011, Rouvoet bid farewell to politics. He had been a member of the House of Representatives for exactly 5000 days and had been the political leader of the ChristenUnie for 8.5 years. During his political career, he received the Thorbecke Prize for political eloquence (2003) and was chosen as Politician of the Year by the parliamentary press in 2004.

During his political career, Rouvoet delivered numerous speeches and lectures on a wide range of topics. He wrote many dozens of articles and published several books. After leaving politics, he became a sought-after speaker and moderator.

In February 2012, Rouvoet became the chairman of Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (ZN). After many years as the spokesperson for ‘healthcare’ in the House of Representatives, this was a nice transition to a role that sits at the intersection of public and private. Upon his appointment, he indicated that the healthcare sector and health insurers face enormous challenges together and expressed his strong commitment to improving quality and reducing costs in healthcare. During his chairmanship, broad agreements were reached three times with various healthcare sectors, focusing on these very goals. After two terms, he stepped down from this position in February 2020.

Rouvoet combines his main role with administrative and supervisory positions, particularly in the fields of (youth) care, education, and welfare. Currently, he is, among other roles, the chairman of the Platform Scheiden zonder Schade (commissioned by the Ministries of Justice and Security and Health, Welfare and Sport, and the Association of Dutch Municipalities), chairman of the Supervisory Board of Stichting Enver Jeugdzorg, and chairman of the independent Advisory Committee on the Code of the Association of Innovative Medicines. Furthermore, he has been the chairman of the Social Advisory Council of the PO-Raad (the umbrella organization of Primary Education) since 2011 and is connected as an advisor and/or member of Recommendation Committees to many charitable and other non-profit organizations in very diverse fields.

Rouvoet is a highly experienced moderator who enjoys debate and knows how to combine substantive discussions with humor. He feels most at home with themes such as healthcare, youth care, education, safety, politics, and fundamental rights.