Lodewijk Asscher

Lodewijk Frans Asscher (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈloːdəʋɛik frɑns ˈɑʃər]; born 27 September 1974) is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist. He served as Leader of the Labour Party from 10 December 2016 and the Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives from 23 March 2017 until 14 January 2021.

Lodewijk Asscher
Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives
In office
23 March 2017 – 14 January 2021
Preceded byAttje Kuiken
Succeeded byLilianne Ploumen
Leader of the Labour Party
In office
10 December 2016 – 14 January 2021
DeputySharon Dijksma
Lilianne Ploumen
Preceded byDiederik Samsom
Succeeded byLilianne Ploumen
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office
5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017
Prime MinisterMark Rutte
Preceded byMaxime Verhagen
Succeeded byHugo de Jonge (First Deputy)
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
In office
5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017
Prime MinisterMark Rutte
Preceded byHenk Kamp
Succeeded byWouter Koolmees
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
23 March 2017
Mayor of Amsterdam
Ad interim
In office
12 March 2010 – 7 July 2010
Preceded byJob Cohen
Succeeded byEberhard van der Laan
Personal details
Born
Lodewijk Frans Asscher

(1974-09-27) 27 September 1974
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political partyLabour Party
Spouse(s)
Jildau Piena
​
(m. 2007)​
Children3 sons
RelativesAbraham Asscher (great-grandfather)
Hans Vonk (uncle)
ResidenceAmsterdam
EducationUniversity of Amsterdam (BSocSc, LLB, LLM, DPhil)

Asscher worked as a researcher at the University of Amsterdam from 1996 until 2002. He was elected as a municipal councillor of Amsterdam on 8 March 2002 and assumed the leadership of the Labour Party in the municipal council on 3 April 2004. He worked as an associate professor of Intellectual property law at the University of Amsterdam from 1 May 2002 until 1 May 2006. Asscher was the lijsttrekker (top candidate) for the PvdA in the 2006 municipal election and became Deputy Mayor and alderman on 26 April 2006. Following the resignation of Mayor of Amsterdam Job Cohen to run for the Labour Party leadership for the election of 2010, Asscher as Deputy Mayor served as ad interim Mayor of Amsterdam from 12 March 2010 until 7 July 2010.[1] After the election of 2012 Asscher was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Rutte II, serving from 5 November 2012 until 26 October 2017.

Early life and education

Lodewijk Frans Asscher was born on 27 September 1974 in Amsterdam in a mixed religious family; his father is of Jewish descent and his mother is Catholic.[2] His father is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and his mother a member of the Labour Party.[3]

Asscher went to the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague. He studied psychology (propaedeutics in 1995) and Dutch law (master's degree in 1998) at the University of Amsterdam in Amsterdam. In 2002, he received his PhD in law from the University of Amsterdam.[4]

Politics

Amsterdam

Asscher entered the municipal council after the Dutch municipal elections of 2002. Besides his role as the group leader of the Labour Party in the Amsterdam municipal council, he took part in the commission on General Affairs.

Until 1 January 2006, Asscher taught information law at the University of Amsterdam. In his book "New Amsterdam", Asscher advocated the eventual disappearance of the red light district. A few days after the release of the book, Asscher revoked that statement, stating that he was not against prostitution, but rather against sexual slavery.

After the Dutch municipal elections of 2006, where he led the Labour Party's campaign in Amsterdam, Asscher was installed as an alderman on 26 April. His portfolio included Economics, Airport and Harbour; he also was Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam from 2006 until 2010. He served as Acting Mayor of Amsterdam from 12 March 2010 to 7 July 2010 and then became the alderman in charge of Finances until 5 November 2012.

Netherlands

On 5 November 2012, he became Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and Deputy Prime Minister in the Second Rutte cabinet.[5][6] In Amsterdam he was succeeded by Eberhard van der Laan (also PvdA).

In September 2014, Asscher announced heightened scrutiny of four Dutch-Turkish organisations that he suspected of hindering integration, including a religious group, Millî Görüş. This led to the expulsion of 2 Dutch Turkish MPs from the Labour Party after they harshly criticised the move.[7]

On 9 December 2016, Asscher won the leadership of the Labour Party in an election against incumbent Diederik Samsom. He obtained 54,5% of the vote.[8] In the Dutch general election of 2017, the PvdA suffered the biggest defeat in Dutch electoral history, receiving only 5.7% of the votes and losing 29 of its 38 seats. The PvdA did not rejoin the government after the election. Asscher was succeeded as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment by Wouter Koolmees in the Third Rutte cabinet, on 26 October 2017. While being the presumptive party leader for the 2021 parliamentary elections, Asscher withdrew as leader on January 14, 2021 with just two months before the election, due to his role as Minister of Social Affairs in the toeslagenaffaire (social benefits scandal).[9]

Personal

Lodewijk Asscher is married to Jildau Piena, with whom he has three sons.[10]

Bibliography
  • (1999) Constitutionele convergentie van pers, omroep en telecommunicatie (Constitutional Convergence of Press, Broadcaster, and Telecommunication)
  • (2002) Communicatiegrondrechten (Fundamental Rights of Communication)
  • (2005) Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam)
  • (2010) De ontsluierde stad (The Unveiled City)

References
  1. (in Dutch) Lodewijk Asscher waarnemend burgemeester, Trouw, 19 March 2010
  2. (in Dutch) Op vrijdag aten we challe, met Pasen matzes Archived 2012-05-26 at the Wayback Machine, Jonet.nl, 20 November 2010
  3. (in Dutch) Lodewijk Asscher 'Ik ben soms knetterhard', Intermediair.nl, 8 December 2005
  4. (in Dutch) Dr. L.F. (Lodewijk) Asscher, Parlement & Politiek. Retrieved on 10 April 2015.
  5. (in Dutch) Lodewijk Asscher wordt vicepremier, NOS, 26 October 2012.
  6. (in Dutch) Asscher: politiek talent van de PvdA, NOS, 1 November 2012.
  7. "Dutch race relations: Blacked up". The Economist. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  8. Joost de Vries (9 December 2016). "Asscher verslaat Samsom in lijsttrekkersstrijd PvdA". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  9. "Asscher trekt zich terug als lijsttrekker PvdA". nos.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  10. (in Dutch) Lodewijk Asscher: wordt hij Wibaut of Cohen?, Wordpress, 14 October 2011
Political offices
Preceded by
Job Cohen		 Mayor of Amsterdam
Acting
2010		 Succeeded by
Eberhard van der Laan
Preceded by
Maxime Verhagen		 Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
2012–2017		 Succeeded by
Hugo de Jonge
as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Preceded by
Henk Kamp		 Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
2012–2017		 Succeeded by
Wouter Koolmees
Party political offices
Preceded by
Diederik Samsom		 Leader of the Labour Party
2016–2021		 Succeeded by
Lilianne Ploumen
Preceded by
Attje Kuiken		 Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives
2017–2021		 Succeeded by
Lilianne Ploumen
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