June 21, 2004. Copyright, 2004, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Profile of Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, June 21, Graphic News:  Jan Peter Balkenende, some might say, rose to the top job in the Netherlands on the basis of some fairly unconventional views: he firmly opposes the liberal policies on issues such as gay rights, drugs and euthanasia that have become synonymous with his countryÕs leadership.

Not only has the prime minister begun charting a new course for the Dutch, his increasingly Eurosceptic government is set to take over the EU presidency in July. On June 2 Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said his government was less ÒintegrationistÓ than people might think.

Balkenende was at first regarded as a transitory figure when he led a remarkable comeback of the centre-right Christian Democrats in 2002 to become prime minister. Two years on, his work ethic and tough approach to immigration and crime appear to have a more lasting appeal for a Dutch public weary of high unemployment and permissiveness.

Born in Kapelle in 1954, Balkenende first entered parliament in 1998. Prior to that, the economics professor had spent years serving on the local council in Amstelveen, held top jobs at a Christian radio and TV network, and published reports on Dutch society for his party.

In September 2001 he took over leadership of the CDA and was promptly dismissed by the daily De Volkskrant as Òa man without leadership qualitiesÓ. Despite his ÒHarry PotterÓ looks, however, Balkenende showed he was made of stern stuff: he led his party out of the political wilderness and into coalition government with the anti-immigration Ljist Pym Fortuyn.

In fact, Balkenende was rewarded at the polls for his decision even to deal with the party of the maverick Pym Fortuyn, who was murdered days before the May 2002 election in which it won 26 seats. After bickering led to the coalitionÕs collapse just five months later, Balkenende led the Christian Democrats to a second, narrower, win and set about implementing his agenda.

That agenda includes reducing the number of workers on disability benefits; clamping down on crime; and insisting that immigrants take steps to become integrated, e. g. by learning the Dutch language. He has pledged to tackle the persistent sore spots of euthanasia and open sales of soft drugs: laws on the first are to be reviewed and on the second, to be restricted.

Not surprisingly the Calvinist father of one also favours tax increases and welfare cuts, but in personal terms he breaks the mould: Balkenende regularly burns the midnight oil at his desk but he is also an energetic speaker with a sense of humour. He once published a photo of himself with Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe, and the caption: ÒSpot the DifferenceÓ.

A key issue during his governmentÕs tenure of the EU presidency is certain to be TurkeyÕs bid for accession, but unresolved questions about the EUÕs constitution and direction continue to rumble in the background. In comments made to the Humboldt University in Berlin, Foreign Minister Bot appeared to favour transferring some powers back to EU nation states.

BalkenendeÕs six-month spell in the EU limelight also faces two minor problems: his official residence in the Hague was gutted by fire recently, and Queen Beatrix is trying to enforce a protocol that states that the Dutch national anthem can only be played in the presence of a member of her House of Orange. To solve these, Harry Potter may have to work some magic.
/ENDS