Kees van der Staaij, the head of the SGP, announced on Friday that he will retire from politics following the forthcoming elections. In 1998, the House of Representatives' dean was chosen to serve in the legislature. He has held the position of longest-serving Member of Parliament since 2017.
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| MP Van der Staaij |
At the age of 29, SGP member Van der Staaij became the youngest member of parliament. He had previously studied law in Leiden. Van der Staaij spent a number of years working as a lawyer in the Council of State after finishing his studies.
While still a student, Van der Staaij was already active in politics. He volunteered at the SGP Study Centre throughout those years.
Van der Staaij took over as the party's conservative Christian head in 2010. In that year, he took over as party leader from Bas van der Vlies.
He argues that for the party leader, "a time to go" has now arrived. Although politics have given him a lot, he says he looks forward to a life "outside the consuming world of politics." But there are a lot of requirements. from my spouse and kids. from me as well. not just from your head but from your body as well. He writes, "They were years of the tropics.
The SGP participant is unsure of his future move as of now. "I eagerly anticipate being able to make a contribution to our society in any way from the values in which I still fervently believe as when I was permitted to enter the Chamber 25 years ago," the speaker said.
According to the party, Chris Stoffer, who was ranked second on the prior SGP list, succeeds Van der Staaij. He has been overwhelmingly chosen to lead the SGP party in the upcoming elections in November.
After the elections, PVV leader Geert Wilders will hold the record for the longest-serving MP thanks to Van der Staaij's announcement of his resignation. Wilders is running for office again.
Van der Staaij may have served in the legislature for the longest amount of time, but he is not the politician with the most number of years spent in the House. Lodewijk Duymaer van Twist currently holds that record. Between 1901 and 1946, he represented the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) in the Chamber for more than 44 years.
The SGP is the country's oldest political party. The party values conservative views highly and upholds the Christian message in principle.
The SGP frequently highlights the value of stable state finances, defence spending, and an effective legal system. The party is a consistent force in the legislature and frequently joins the coalition while voting in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Something unusual occurred during the tense April 1 debate of 2021 over the document "Pieter Omtzigt, position elsewhere". Van der Staaij voted "with a heavy heart" in favour of the resolution of no confidence in Mark Rutte, the interim prime minister and then-leader of the VVD. Other opposition leaders also suffered a loss of faith.
Source: ANP/NU