Carola Schouten

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Carola Schouten

| image = Vicepremier Carola Schouten (cropped).jpg

| caption = Schouten in 2017

| office = Mayor of Rotterdam

| term_start = 10 October 2024

| predecessor = Ahmed Aboutaleb

| office1 = Third Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands

| term_start1 = 26 October 2017

| term_end1 = 2 July 2024

| primeminister1 = Mark Rutte

| predecessor1 = Lodewijk Asscher
(Deputy PM)

| successor1 = Eddy van Hijum

| office2 = Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions

| term_start2 = 10 January 2022

| term_end2 = 2 July 2024

| primeminister2 = Mark Rutte

| predecessor2 = Dennis Wiersma

| successor2 = Jurgen Nobel

| office3 = Minister of Agriculture,
Nature and Food Quality

| term_start3 = 26 October 2017

| term_end3 = 10 January 2022

| primeminister3 = Mark Rutte

| predecessor3 = Henk Kamp
(as Minister of Economic Affairs)

| successor3 = Henk Staghouwer

| office4 = Member of the House of Representatives

| term_start4 = 31 March 2021

| term_end4 = 18 January 2022

| predecessor4 =

| successor4 = Stieneke van der Graaf

| term_start5 = 18 May 2011

| term_end5 = 26 October 2017

| predecessor5 = André Rouvoet

| successor5 = Stieneke van der Graaf

| birthname = Cornelia Johanna Schouten

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1977|10|06}}

| birth_place = 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Christian Union

| spouse =

| children = 1

| residence = Rotterdam, Netherlands

| alma_mater = Erasmus University Rotterdam
(Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration)

| occupation = Politician · Civil servant

| signature =

| website = [https://www.government.nl/government/members-of-cabinet/carola-schouten Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality]

}}

Cornelia Johanna "Carola" Schouten ({{IPA|nl|kaːˈroːlaː ˈsxʌutə(n)}}; born 6 October 1977) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Union (CU). She was Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Third Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2022. She continued to serve as Third Deputy Prime Minister in the fourth Rutte cabinet alongside her position as Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions until July 2024.{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2199008-vicepremier-carola-schouten-cu-heeft-haar-wortels-in-het-boerenbedrijf.html|title=Vicepremier Carola Schouten (CU) heeft haar wortels in het boerenbedrijf|publisher=NOS Nieuws|date=21 October 2017|access-date=11 March 2019|language=nl}} On 10 October 2024, Schouten became the mayor of Rotterdam succeeding Ahmed Aboutaleb.{{Cite web |date=Oct 10, 2024 |title=Carola Schouten vanaf vandaag officieel burgemeester van Rotterdam |url=https://www.nu.nl/buitenland/6331155/carola-schouten-vanaf-vandaag-officieel-burgemeester-van-rotterdam.html |access-date=10 October 2024 |website=NU.nl}}

Early life and education

A native of 's-Hertogenbosch, Schouten grew up in Waardhuizen, managing her deceased father's dairy farm with her mother and her two sisters for four years, after which time the family ended the farming activities and moved to neighbouring village of Giessen[https://www.bd.nl/woudrichem/ze-schreeuwen-het-niet-van-de-daken-maar-waardhuizen-is-trots-op-vice-premier-carola-schouten~a8a611be/ Ze schreeuwen het niet van de daken, maar Waardhuizen is trots op vice-premier Carola Schouten], Brabants Dagblad, 23 October 2017 (Waardhuizen and Giessen are nowadays located in the new municipality of Altena).

She attended Altena College in Sleeuwijk and studied business administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam with a year abroad at Tel Aviv University. Schouten worked at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment from 2000 to 2006. Subsequently, she was an assistant to the Christian Union parliamentary group, entering into politics.

Political career

Schouten became a member of the House of Representatives in 2011 upon the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister André Rouvoet.[https://www.parlement.com/id/vif4b83nbxyq/c_j_carola_schouten Drs. C.J. (Carola) Schouten], Parlement.com In parliament, she served as her group's spokesperson on financial policy.Matt Steinglass (15 May 2013), [https://www.ft.com/content/7afd3bd6-bcac-11e2-b344-00144feab7de Dutch uproar over Bulgarian benefit fraud] Financial Policy.

Schouten and party leader Gert-Jan Segers participated in the negotiations of forming the third Rutte cabinet, which she entered as Deputy Prime Minister.{{Cite web |date=2015-11-18 |title=Carola Schouten (CU) leidt onderzoek naar lek |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2069936-carola-schouten-cu-leidt-onderzoek-naar-lek.html |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=nos.nl |language=nl}} From autumn 2019 she faced farmers' protests because of government's measures involving decreasing the number of livestock. In 2020, Schouten suggested the EU should begin to adjust animal welfare regulations and limit live animal exports.Sophie Kevany (3 December 2020), [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-to-become-first-country-in-europe-to-ban-live-animal-exports England and Wales to ban live animal exports in European first] The Guardian. From 2021, she led efforts on legislation on reducing damaging ammonia pollution.Senay Boztas (9 September 2021), [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/09/netherlands-proposes-radical-plans-to-cut-livestock-numbers-by-almost-a-third Netherlands proposes radical plans to cut livestock numbers by almost a third] The Guardian.

In 2022, she introduced the Future Pensions Act into law.{{Cite news |last=Pelgrim |first=Christiaan |date=2022-12-15 |title=Na bijna 15 jaar discussie geeft de Tweede Kamer groen licht voor de nieuwe pensioenwet |work=NRC |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2022/12/15/na-bijna-15-jaar-discussie-geeft-de-tweede-kamer-groen-licht-voor-de-nieuwe-pensioenwet-a4151681 |access-date=2022-12-22}}

In July 2024, Schouten was nominated to become the mayor of Rotterdam, succeeding Ahmed Aboutaleb. She was sworn in on 10 October 2024.

Personal life

Schouten is single with a child and is a member of the Dutch Reformed Churches (previously the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated)). She lives in Rotterdam. Her younger sister Marjan van der Meij-Schouten is a member of the municipal council of Altena, like her older sister on behalf of the Christian Union.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gemeentealtena.nl/gemeenteraad/samenstelling-van-de-raad |title=Municipal council of Altena |access-date=2021-01-07 |archive-date=2021-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124215625/https://www.gemeentealtena.nl/gemeenteraad/samenstelling-van-de-raad |url-status=dead }}[https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/2887364/de-minister-die-in-brabant-campagne-komt-voeren-voor-haar-jongere-zus-heel-speciaal De minister die in Brabant campagne komt voeren voor haar jongere zus: 'Heel speciaal'], Omroep Brabant, 18 November 2018

Honours

{{flag|Estonia}}: Member 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (5 June 2018)[https://news.err.ee/837775/king-of-netherlands-to-visit-estonia-next-week King of Netherlands to visit Estonia next week] - website of the Estionian public radio and television organisation Eesti Rahvusringhääling[https://president.ee/et/ametitegevus/otsused/2896-265-riiklike-autasude-andmine 265. Riiklike autasude andmine] - website of the President of Estonia

References

External links

;Official

[https://www.parlement.com/id/vif4b83nbxyq/c_j_carola_schouten Drs. C.J. (Carola) Schouten], Parlement.com {{in lang|nl}}
[https://www.government.nl/government/members-of-cabinet/carola-schouten/curriculum-vitae Curriculum Vitae Carola Schouten], Government of the Netherlands