‘I want to work towards a society in which people can achieve their full potential. A society in which we reduce the risk of poverty and increase job opportunities, for everyone. Because all of us have something to contribute and are therefore valuable. And equally valuable is a well-earned old age pension. I’m going to work to achieve that.’
Carola SchoutenDeputy Prime Minister, Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions
Born on 6 October 1977 in Den Bosch, single, one child
Party: Christian Union
1989-1995
Secondary education, Altena College Sleeuwijk
1995-2006
Business Administration, Erasmus University Rotterdam
2000
Business Administration, Tel Aviv University
2000
Various positions at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, including policy officer for work and income
2006
Policy officer for the parliamentary party of the Christian Union; policy coordinator and senior policy officer for finance and social affairs
2011
Member of parliament for the Christian Union, focusing on financial and economic affairs, social affairs, employment and pensions, higher education and housing
26 October 2017 – 10 January 2022
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the third Rutte government
10 January 2022
Appointed Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions and Deputy Prime Minister in the fourth Rutte government
2017 and 2021
Negotiator on behalf of the Christian Union, together with parliamentary party leader Gert-Jan Segers, in the negotiations on the coalition agreement for the third and fourth Rutte governments
2015
Chair of the committee investigating the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services (CIVD) leak
2010
Member of the Christian Union’s electoral programme committee for the 2010 parliamentary elections
Founding member of the party’s entrepreneurs network
Member of the supervisory board of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
Member of the supervisory board of the Gereformeerd Scholengemeenschap Randstad, a Christian secondary school
Member of the board of Stichting Gabriël Financiële Bescherming, an independent Christian financial advice organisation
Member of the advisory board of Stichting Elah, a charity that helps fund welfare activities for the Dutch community in Israel
