USA

Presidents of the House of Representatives after 1945: up to and including Khadija Arib

Do you remember them: Van Schaik, Vondeling, Deetman, Bukman, or more recently Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, Frans Weisglas and Gerdi Verbeet? These are the names of some of the chairmen of the House of Representatives of the States General since the Second World War. This article discusses these people, including personal details, political movements (CDA, PvdA, VVD) and notable political moments. The following list of chairmen of the House of Representatives of the States General after 1945 is in chronological order.

Josef van Schaik

Catholic politician, was already Speaker of the House for the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) from 1938 to 1940. Protested against the German invasion in 1940 and was again chairman of the House of Representatives from 1945 to 1948, this time as a member of the newly founded Catholic People’s Party (KVP). During his political career, Van Schaik was also deputy prime minister (from 1948) and held several ministerial positions.

Rad Kortenhorst

Held the office of Speaker of the House for a long period: from 1948 to 1963. Saw the House modernize and wrote political commentary in the Volkskrant. Kortenhorst was a member of the KVP.

Frans-Joseph van Thiel

Catholic politician (KVP), chairman of the House of Representatives from 1963 to 1972. Experienced infamous political events such as the Night of Schmelzer (1966, fall of the Cals cabinet) and, as a Brabander, introduced the necessary humor into his office.

Anne Vondeling

Speaker of the House from 1972 to 1979, member of the Labor Party (PvdA). As an agricultural scientist, he had an intensive political and scientific career, including two ministerial positions and a professorship in Groningen. Died in 1979, shortly after becoming a member of the European Parliament, as a result of a car accident.

Dick Dolman

Was President of the House from 1979 to 1989, but was not re-elected in 1989. Dolman, who had made a career as a civil servant and politician, was a member of the PvdA and was best known for his aim to be above the parties.

Wim Deetman

CDA politician, chairman of the House of Representatives from 1989 to 1996. As chairman of the House, he experienced both the Lubbers era and the first ‘purple’ cabinet of Wim Kok. Deetman, born in The Hague, was mayor of his hometown from 1996 to 2008.

Piet Bukman

Briefly Speaker of the House, from 1996 to 1998. Bukman, a reformed CDA member, managed to build up relatively little moral authority during his chairmanship.

Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven

PvdA politician, born in Friesland. Chairman of the House of Representatives during the second ‘purple’ cabinet: 1998-2002. Van Nieuwenhoven achieved a unique feat by being the first woman to wield the gavel.

Frans Weis glass

Chairman of the Senate of the VVD House, expressed the wish to introduce more dualism in the House. Weisglas served as chairman from 2002 to 2006, being re-elected in 2003. Corrected, among others, SP leader Jan Marijnissen, when he made his well-known statement ‘Dim it down a bit’.

Gerdi Verbeet

Verbeet, previously a parliamentarian for the PvdA, was accused by Geert Wilders in 2007 of engaging in factional politics. She was Speaker of the House from 2006 to 2012.

Anouchka van Miltenburg

VVD politics. Chairman from 2012 to 2015.

Khadija Arib

PvdA politician. Chairman of the House of Representatives since 2016.