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Prime Minister, Minister of General Affairs
Dr Jan Pieter (known as Jan Peter) Balkenende was born in Kapelle on 7 May 1956.
After completing his secondary education he went on to the VU University, Amsterdam, where he studied history (graduating in 1980) and Dutch law (graduating in 1982). He obtained his doctorate in law in 1992 with a thesis on government regulation and civil society organisations.
From 1982 to 1984 he was a legal affairs policy officer at the Netherlands Universities Council. He then served on the staff of the policy institute of the Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA) until 1998.
Dr Balkenende was a member of Amstelveen municipal council from 1982 to 1998, and leader of its CDA group from 1994. From 1993 to 2002 he was professor (part-time) of Christian social thought on society and economics at the VU University.
From 1998 to 2002 he was a member of the House of Representatives of the States General for the CDA, and leader of the CDA parliamentary party from 1 October 2001.
He has also been a member and vice-chair of the board of the broadcasting organisation NCRV, a member of the Amsterdam Regional Forum, chair of the Association of Christian Lawyers, member of the group on socially responsible business practice in the Royal Association MKB-Nederland, which represents employers in small and medium-size businesses, and a member of the board of the Parliamentary History Group.
Since 22 July 2002 Dr Balkenende has led three successive governments as Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, entering his fourth term of office on 22 February 2007.
22 February 2007