Rusker Wijngaarden
Rusker Wijngaarden | |
|---|---|
 Wijngaarden at an EC summit in May 2017 | |
| Second Deputy High Commissioner Commissioner for the Budget and Social Matters | |
| Assumed office 4th April 2018 | |
| President | Alexis Walker |
| Preceded by | Rienhold Van Der Hoek |
| Prime Minister of Ruttland | |
| In office 12th July 2007 – 4th April 2018 | |
| Monarch | Annigjen I |
| Deputy | Maurits Nijholt Edzerd Hylkema |
| Preceded by | Eilkje Koopmans |
| Succeeded by | Rienhold Van Der Hoek |
| Leader of the Modern Centre Party | |
| In office 14th October 2003 – 4th April 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Roemer Ykema |
| Succeeded by | Rienhold Van Der Hoek |
| Minister of the Treasury | |
| In office 20th April 1999 – 18th May 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Loadewyk Damstra |
| Preceded by | Idde Schippers |
| Succeeded by | Ultsje Tuinstra |
| Minister of Infrastructure and Transport | |
| In office 4th May 1995 – 20th April 1999 | |
| Prime Minister | Loadewyk Damstra |
| Preceded by | Simme Kuiken |
| Succeeded by | Gjilke Akkerman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rusker Jozef Wijngaarden December 14, 1956 Griales, Westlân, Ruttland |
| Political party | Modern Centre |
| Spouse | Swobkje Boelens |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Royal Arnwert Academy |
Rusker Jozef Wijngaarden (born 14th December 1956, aged 67) is a Ruttish politician who has served as Second Deputy High Commissioner and Commissioner for the Budget and Social Matters in the Euclean Commission since 2018. He previously served as Prime Minister of Ruttland between 2007-2018 and leader of the liberal conservative Modern Centre Party (MS) from 2003-2018.
Wijngaarden was born in the town of Griales in 1956, graduating from the Royal Arnwert Academy with a politics M.A in 1978. He worked as a staffer for the Modern Centre Party until being elected in the 1987 general election. Following the victory of the purple coalition of the MS and Cooperative Party (KÖP) in 1995 under KÖP leader Loadewyk Damstra Wijngaarden became Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. In 1999 he was moved to the Minister of the Treasury portfolio which he held until 2003 when the purple coalition lost to the National Consolidation Party. Following the 2003 election Wijngaarden was elected as leader of MS where he led the party into the 2007 general election which saw the MS for the first time in its history become the largest party in the People's Chamber. Wijngaarden became the first liberal prime minister in over 90 years after forming a MS-KÖP purple government. At the 2011 and 2015 general elections the coalition retained its majority.
As Prime Minister Wijngaarden negotiated an EC bailout package in exchange for implementing several structural reforms, implementing fiscal retrenchment policies cutting Ruttland's deficit and privatising state-owned enterprises. The Wijngaarden government has also pursued several socially liberal policies such as loosening drug laws and legalising euthanasia in 2014. His government however also passed several other pieces of legalisation such as a controversial immigration reform in 2012 (commonly known as the "open arms" policy) and tightening Ruttland's surveillance laws in 2016. Wijngaarden's governing style has led him to be nicknamed as the "the master of consensus politics".
In 2018 Wijngaarden announced his intention to resign as both Prime Minister and MS leader. He subsequently joined the Euclean Commission as Second Deputy High Commissioner and Commissioner for the Budget and Social Matters.
Early life
Rusker Jozef Wijngaarden was born on the 14th December 1956 in the county town of Griales, the first child of Blommert Wijngaarden (1924-2010) and Finkje Haagsma (1928-2014) who worked as a priest and teacher respectively. His siblings were his brother Wibering born in 1959 and his sister Maggeltsje born in 1962. Wijngaarden's family was Vredlandian Reformed Church with Wijngaarden's upbringing being "very religious". Wijngaarden has commented that as a result of such an upbringing he interacted very little with people from Solarian Catholic families, but his family was never involved in sectarian violence.
Wijngaarden attended a sixth form college that specialised in social sciences, graduating from the college in 1974. He gained a scholarship to the Royal Arnwert Academy the same year doing a degree in politics. During his time at University he became the president of the universities Modern Centre Future branch, the youth wing of the Modern Centre Party (Moderne Sintrumpartij; MS). Wijngaarden graduated in 1978 with a M.A in political science. His tutor Atze Boomsma commented on Wijngaarden that he was "an extremely able student".
Following his graduation from university Wijngaarden was employed by the Modern Centre Party's central office as a member of their Policy Council, advising the party's leaders on policy recommendations. In the 1983 general election he was placed 34 on the MS's party list - he was failed to get elected as MS only got 29 seats, leading to another victory for the National Consolidation Party (Nasjonale Konsolidaasjepartij; NKP).
Political career
In the 1987 general election Wijngaarden was placed 30th on the MS's party list being elected after the party got 32 seats in the election. Following his election he aligned himself on the conservative wing of the party supporting economic liberalism and opposing the legalisation of same-sex marriage. However unlike other conservative MS MP's Wijngaarden was a strong supporter of the Euclean Community.
During his time as an opposition MP Wijngaarden generally supported the incumbent government's fiscal policies which under the premiership of Ludolf Attema largely followed the same economic liberal policies the MS espoused. Following the 1989 general election wherein Wijngaarden was re-elected to parliament he was promoted to the MS's frontbench as the MS spokesman on financial affairs by then MS leader Staas Dijkstra.
Cabinet Minister
Following the 1995 general election the incumbent NKP was defeated after over four decades in power with a purple coalition of the MS and social democratic Cooperative Party (Koöperativepartij; KÖP)
being formed with the KÖP being the senior partner as their leader Loadewyk Damstra became Prime Minister. As a member of the MS's frontbench Wijngaarden was given the cabinet post of Minister of Infrastructure and Transport.
Wijngaarden as Transport Minister implemented several changes to the Transport system, leading the privatisation of Ruttland's bus service selling the company to private investors in line with government economic policy. The privatisation of bus services was a "delicate affair" with KÖP affiliated-trade unions opposed moves to take the company amongst others out of public hands. Wijngaarden, after negotiating with union leaders, was able to agree on pursuing a privatisation policy. Wijngaarden defended the privatisation of the bus services by stating it saved the treasury over 3KRN billion in revenue and that customer satisfaction with privatised bus services was "the same as the old nationalised service". Wijngaarden as Transport Minister suggested beginning privatising rail services but the proposal met too much opposition from KÖP MP's.
Following the 1999 general election the KÖP lost many MP's, but remained in office thanks to MS increasing its number of seats. As a result Damstra was forced to carry out a reshuffle that awarded MS the portfolio's of both the Treasury and Foreign Affairs. The new MS leader Roemer Ykema was appointed as Foreign Minister whilst Wijngaarden became Minister of the Treasury. As Treasury Minister Wijngaarden cut taxes, kept inflation low and trimmed public expenditure to achieve balanced budgets. The latter brought him into conflict with Social Affairs Minister Iepke Vos who pushed for higher social spending. Wijngaarden was able to push for spending cuts by lowering the tax intake.
Modern Centre leader
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Although Wijngaarden kept his seat in the 2003 general election both the MS and the KÖP lost seats leading to the NKP to form government. As a result of the electoral loss MS leader Ykema resigned, opening the way for a leadership contest. A contest quickly developed between Wijngaarden who represented the pro-EC liberal wing and Liuwke Blok who represented the party's anti-EC conservative wing. Wijngaarden won a majority of votes from MP's resulting in him to be elected as MS leader.
As leader of MS Wijngaarden positioned them as the most pro-Euclean party stating he wanted a common Euclean defence and foreign policy. He also took a populist line on crime and immigration stating under a MS-led government tougher restrictions for asylum seekers would be enforced and that the government would take a "zero-tolerance approach" to muggings. Wijngaarden's promises led to a small rise in the polls for MS, especially after the 2005 real estate bubble crash.
The NKP-KPH coalition soon became unpopular due to its approval of a bank guarantee which was a precursor to greater austerity measures. Wijngaarden criticised the government's bank guarantee as "a bad deal for Ruttland and a bad deal for the taxpayer". At the 2006 local elections MS became the largest party on a national scale for the first time in its history, winning 37.6% of the vote
In the lead up to the 2007 general elections MS led in the polls, with most pollsters predicting the party would gain a majority at the next election. At the 2010 MS party conference Wijngaarden called for a "compassionate government of the centre-ground, that will renegotiate bailouts, sponsor innovation 2006 enterprise and provide for the poorest in society" alleging the government had failed to do these actions on all counts. Wijngaarden stated MS was the only party that had explicitly ruled out income tax raises.
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The 2007 election saw MS conduct a presidential campaign focused on Wijngaarden's leadership, with Wijngaarden having the highest approval ratings of all major leaders and being perceived as the "most trusted". MS entered the campaign with a 10 point lead in the opinion polls with MS getting a 30%+ average (compared to both the NKP and KÖP getting an average of 20%+). Wijngaardan during the campaign condemned the unemployment rate as indefensible and stated that without structural reform the Ruttish economy would become insolvent due the NKP coalition's high borrowing rates.
During the 2007 general election Wijngaarden called for a return of "a government of the progressive centre" and stated in the wake of the 2005 recession there needed to be an "age of austerity". During the election MS proposed implementing austerity policies to eliminate Ruttland's current deficit, implement a tough-on-crime policy, tighten immigration laws and supporting deeper integration with the EC.
Entering the election as favourites MS further boosted its chances following the first election debate - held on the 13th April 2007 - which Wijngaarden was seen to win. This was repeated in a two way debate held on the 24th April 2007 between Wijngaarden and Prime Minister and NKP leader Eilkje Koopmans. As a result the NKP recorded a massive loss of support as MS averaged 40%+ in the polls. The election, held on the 4th May, saw the MS get 54 out of 200 seats, getting 25.29% of the vote. The MS's victory was the best result in the party's history. Wijngaarden subsequently announced his intention to form a purple government with the KÖP.
Prime Minister
On the 16th May 2007 Wijngaarden was invited by Steedhâlder Annigjen to form the first government fronted by a Reform Church Prime MInister. Wijngaarden negotiated with the KÖP to form a government - the KÖP agreed to enter government with former finance minister Maurits Nijholt becoming Deputy Prime Minister. In his first speech as Prime Minister Wijngaarden stated his government would "govern not on party lines but in the national interest". The first move Wijngaarden did was cut all ministerial salaries by 10%. Wijngaarden also cut the number of government ministries from 20 to 14 - the Ministry of the Environment and of Industrial Strategy and Employment were merged into the Ministry of Energy to create the Ministry of Industrial Strategy, Energy and the Environment whilst the Employment functions were merged into the Ministry of Welfare and Pensions. The Ministries of International Development, Equality and Enterprise and Immigration and Citizenship were abolished entirely. Wijngaarden's abolition of Ministries was criticised by environmentalist groups for merging energy and the environment together.
Upon becoming Prime Minister Wijngaarden stated that the economic situation the last government had presided over was "much worse then we anticipated" and that drastic action was needed to address the deficit and Ruttland's debt obligations.
Economic policy
Following Wijngaarden's election as Prime Minister his government prioritised a negotiation of a bailout agreement following the government's rising debt incurred due to the previous government's guarantee the solvency of Ruttish banks. Wijngaarden stated that over €60 billion was needed to maintain the solvency of Ruttish banks, and that the government would seek to secure such funds from the EC in a bailout package in return for pursing structural reforms.
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Between 2007-2009 the the Ruttish government in negotiation with the Euclean Commission, Euclean Central Bank and the Global Institute for Fiscal Affairs agreed a comprehensive Ruttish bailout package with €67 billio in loansn and a haircut of 20% on debt owed to private banks incorporated into the bailout terms whilst the Ruttish government committed to new spending cuts to reduce its deficit from 6.4% in 2011 to 2% in 2014.
Following the negotiation of the bailout agreement the government implemented several austerity measures. This included cuts in welfare (€12.9 billion) education (€2.5 billion) and health (€3.3 billion), passing legislation privatising the national water company and the national grid, raising value-added tax and reducing the amount of government ministries from 20 to 14. The government also reduced the amount of public servants as well as implementing a new rule meaning for every five public servants who leave only one would be hired in their place, whilst implementing a wage freeze across the public sector.
In August 2012 the government offered trade unions either the extension of the work week from 38 hours to 43 hours or an internal devaluation of wages by 8% to increase Ruttland's competitiveness abroad. After a round of negotiations with trade unions in November 2012 the government compromised implementing a 5% decrease in wages and a labour law reform that made it easier for companies to hire and fire workers'. Unemployment benefit was also cut.
In April 2012 Wijngaarden announced that Ruttland would exit the bailout programme after 6 years within it as the deficit was reduced to 2% of GDP.