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Thijs Reuten

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Thijs Reuten
MEP
Reuten in 2024
Member of the European Parliament
for the Netherlands
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 April 2021
Preceded byKati Piri
Parliamentary groupProgressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
District alderman in Amsterdam-Oost
In office
23 November 2010[1] – May 2018
Member of the Amsterdam municipal council
In office
24 April 2002[2] – 3 December 2007[3]
Succeeded byRia Logtenberg[4]
Personal details
Born
M.J.A. Reuten[5]

1974 (age 49–50)
Bussum, Netherlands
Political party Netherlands:
Labour Party
 EU:
Party of European Socialists
Children1
Relatives
Alma materUniversity of Amsterdam
Occupation
  • Politician
  • policy advisor

M.J.A. "Thijs" Reuten (Dutch pronunciation: [tɛis ˈrøːtə(n)]; born 1974) is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA). He began his career as a policy advisor of the party's parliamentary group in the House of Representatives and was a member of the Amsterdam municipal council in the years 2002–07. He then served for two terms as a district alderman in Amsterdam-Oost with a focus on housing and the economy. Starting in 2018, Reuten worked as an independent consultant and as head of policy at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). He was appointed to the European Parliament in April 2021 after the resignation of Kati Piri, and he was re-elected in June 2024.

Early life and education

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Reuten was born in Bussum, North Holland.[6] His father, Joost, was an Augustinian priest at the Salvatorkerk in Amsterdam-Noord until he married Reuten's mother, Simona, whose parents had immigrated to the Netherlands from Italy, in 1972. His father later worked for public broadcasting organization KRO.[7] Reuten studied political science at the University of Amsterdam followed by a master's in international relations.[8]

Career

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Early years and Amsterdam municipal council

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He started his career as a foreign policy advisor of the Labour Party's parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, and he simultaneously served on the district council of the Amsterdam borough of Zuideramstel in the years 1998–2002.[6]

Reuten was his party's fifteenth candidate in Amsterdam in the March 2002 municipal elections, but he did not win a seat.[9] However, he was sworn into the municipal council in April, because several councilors left the body to serve as alderpersons in the new municipal executive.[2][10] He also kept assisting the Labour Party's House group.[11] Reuten's focus in the council was on finances and housing in the period after the national government had asked Amsterdam to construct 50,000 new housing units between 2010 and 2030. When an alderman had proposed to close sports parks and allotment gardens in order to create space for new housing projects, Reuten was a proponent of instead moving a navy complex and Food Center Amsterdam, which were located in the city.[12][13][14] The alderman's plans were eventually abandoned.[15] Reuten also criticized the proposal of a VVD alderman to budget €1.2 million to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Queen Beatrix's reign at a time when the municipality was trying to reduce its budget.[16] In 2005, he and fellow councilor Bouwe Olij presented a plan to establish a municipal housing corporation that would construct affordable houses and sell them for a below market price.[17]

Reuten was re-elected in 2006, being placed sixth on the party list. Before the election, he had to no effect supported an electoral alliance between the Labour Party and GroenLinks.[18][19] In 2007, he became the political advisor of State Secretary of European Affairs Frans Timmermans at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[6][20] This led Reuten to step down from the municipal council in December 2007.[3] He kept working for Timmermans until the end of his term in 2010.[6] That same year, he participated in the general election as the Labour Party's 51st candidate.[21] However, the party's 30 seats and Reuten's 2,935 preference votes were not sufficient for a seat in the House of Representatives.[22]

District alderman and GRI

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He joined the new five-member executive committee of the borough of Amsterdam-Oost on 23 November 2010 as a district alderman specialized in housing, major projects, and spatial planning.[1][6][23] Housing construction had slowed down in Amsterdam as a result of the Great Recession, and under Reuten's leadership about half of the newly built homes in the city were located in Oost in 2011 and 2012.[24][25] He was the Labour Party's lead candidate in Oost in the 2014 municipal elections.[26] Reuten remained part of the executive committee, which shrank to three members, after the election and became responsible for construction, housing, the economy, sports, and diversity.[27] His second term ended in May 2018.[20]

Reuten subsequently worked as an independent urban development consultant until he took a job at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which creates standards for sustainability reporting, as head of policy in April 2020.[8][28][29] In that position, he was responsible for enabling international organizations and national governments to adhere to the GRI's standards.[29]

European Parliament

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He again appeared on the ballot in the 2019 European Parliament election in the Netherlands as the Labour Party's eighth candidate and received 1,222 preference votes. He was not elected, as his party won six seats.[30] Reuten was appointed to the European Parliament following the election of MEP Kati Piri to the Dutch House of Representatives in March 2021.[28] Reuten's term began on 15 April after he had left the GRI.[28][31] In the European Parliament, the Labour Party is a member of the Party of European Socialists, which is part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Reuten became the Labour Party's spokesperson for foreign affairs, justice, and freedoms, and he is on the following committees and delegations:[28][31]

Reuten served as the rapporteur of the European Parliament in the negotiations with the European Council that led to an agreement in late 2022 to suspend visa requirements for Kosovars visiting the European Union for a maximum of 90 days.[32] It was later approved by the parliament.[33] Kosovo simultaneously applied for EU membership.[34] In early 2023, Reuten was among a number of people and organizations that were sanctioned by the Iranian government for supporting and encouraging terrorism. This was in response to European sanctions against the regime following its crackdown of the Mahsa Amini protests. Reuten had proposed to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.[35] The European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution co-filed by Reuten to condemn Hungary's planned presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months in 2024. Their disapproval was the result of concerns over democratic backsliding.[36]

Reuten ran for re-election in June 2024 as the sixth candidate on the shared GroenLinks–PvdA list. The party won a plurality of eight seats, but Reuten was not elected as three candidates lower on the list met the preference vote threshold. Reuten did keep his seat in the European Parliament due to Hedy d'Ancona declining hers.[37][38] He has since been spokesperson for foreign affairs, defense, security, enlargement, and constitutional affairs.[39]

Personal life

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Reuten resides in Zaandam, and he has lived in Amsterdam before. He has a son, and he can play the piano.[40][41] His younger sister, Thekla Reuten is an actress, while economist and Socialist Party politician Geert Reuten and actress Rosa Reuten are his uncle and cousin, respectively.[7][42]

Electoral history

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Electoral history of Thijs Reuten
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2024 European Parliament GroenLinks–PvdA 6 10,135 8 Lost[a] [37]

Notes

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  1. ^ Reuten was not elected despite his party's result due to other candidates meeting the threshold for preference votes. However, he did become a member of the body as Hedy d'Ancona declined her seat.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dagelijks bestuur" [Executive committee]. Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Oost (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Het Nieuws" [The news]. PvdA Amsterdam (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 June 2002. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Vergadering 19-12-2007" [Meeting 19-12-2017]. Gemeente Amsterdam (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  4. ^ Van der Garde, Manon (25 January 2008). Toespraak Manon van der Garde bij de nieuwjaarsreceptie [Speech by Manon van der Garde at the New Year's Reception] (Speech) (in Dutch). PvdA Amsterdam. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Benoeming M.J.A. Reuten en M.P. Hoogeveen tot lid Europees Parlement" [Appointment M.J.A. Reuten and M.P. Hoogeveen as Member of the European Parliament]. Kiesraad (Press release) (in Dutch). 16 April 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Stadsdeel Oost - Thijs Reuten" [East borough – Thijs Reuten]. Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Oost (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b Vis, Carlijn; Koelewijn, Jannetje (2 September 2020). "Thekla Reuten: 'Ik ben dankbaar dat ik ouder mág worden'" [Thekla Reuten: 'I am grateful that I can get older']. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Raising GRI's capability in global markets". GRI (Press release). 25 March 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  9. ^ Wiegman, Marcel (7 March 2002). "PvdA-fractie wil naar links" [Labour Party group wants to move left]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 1.
  10. ^ "Marres wellicht toch in de raad" [Marres possibly in the council after all]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 13 April 2002. p. 5.
  11. ^ Wiegman, Marcel (4 March 2006). "Lodewijk Asscher". Het Parool (in Dutch).
  12. ^ "PvdA wil huizen op marine-terrein" [Labour Party wants houses on marine grounds]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 18 December 2002. p. 1.
  13. ^ "Links in raad wil huizen op plek markthallen" [Left in council wants more houses on location market halls]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 20 December 2002. p. 4.
  14. ^ "Gemeentekas dupe Haagse zuinigheid" [Municipal treasury falls victim to thriftiness of The Hague]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 14 May 2004. p. 39.
  15. ^ Wiegman, Marcel (9 January 2003). "Woningbouwer Stadig lijkt wel uitgeregeerd" [House builder Stadig's rule has seemingly ended]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 1.
  16. ^ Wiegman, Marcel (11 September 2004). "Thijs Reuten (PvdA): 'Hoe kun je zo veel geld uitgeven als overal in de stad bezuinigd moet worden?'" [Thijs Reuten (Labour Party): 'How can you spend so much money if costs have to be cut all across the city?']. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 19.
  17. ^ "PvdA-plan: bedrijf voor betaalbare koophuizen" [Labour Party plan: corporation for affordable owner-occupied housing]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 27 October 2005. p. 59.
  18. ^ Wiegman, Marcel (28 November 2005). "Leden vrezen dat verbinding leidt tot uitsluiting VVD en CDA voor nieuw college" [Members fear that an alliance will lead to exclusion of VVD and CDA for a new executive]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 11.
  19. ^ Damen, Ton (26 November 2005). "PvdA-kopstukken wijzen draai naar links af" [Labour Party leaders reject turn to the left]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 22.
  20. ^ a b "Nieuwe Nederlandse gezichten in Europees Parlement" [New Dutch faces in European Parliament]. Noordhollands Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  21. ^ Reijnen, Michiel (May 2010). "De kandidaten!" [The candidates!] (PDF). Rood (in Dutch). Vol. 7, no. 2. PvdA. p. 13. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2010" [2010 general election results] (PDF). Kiesraad (in Dutch). 16 June 2010. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Weer bestuur in stadsdeel Oost" [Again a committee in the borough of Amsterdam-Oost]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 17 November 2010. p. 33.
  24. ^ Damen, Ton (22 November 2012). "Ruim helft nieuwbouw stad in Oost" [Over half of new housing in the city in Oost]. Het Parool (in Dutch).
  25. ^ Karman, Jasper (7 June 2013). "Thijs Reuten". Het Parool (in Dutch).
  26. ^ "Thijs Reuten weer lijsttrekker in Oost" [Thijs Reuten again lead candidate in Oost]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 5 September 2013. p. 15.
  27. ^ De Jonge, Meike (8 April 2014). "Dagelijks Bestuur gekozen" [Executive committee chosen]. Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Oost (Press release) (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  28. ^ a b c d "Thijs Reuten". PvdA (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  29. ^ a b Pickard, Joe (26 March 2020). "Two senior hires at GRI". The Accountant Online. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Proces-verbaal van de verkiezingsuitslag van het Europees Parlement 2019" [Report of the results of the 2019 European Parliament election] (PDF). Kiesraad (in Dutch). 4 June 2019. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  31. ^ a b "9th parliamentary term". European Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  32. ^ Taylor, Alice (15 December 2022). "Kosovo progresses on visa liberalisation by 2024 path". Euractiv. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  33. ^ "EU lawmakers green-light visa free travel for Kosovo". The Hill. Associated Press. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  34. ^ "Kosovo formally applies to join EU". Reuters. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  35. ^ Verkerk, Jorit (25 January 2023). "Iran reageert op westerse sancties, plaatst twee Nederlandse Europarlementariërs op sanctielijst" [Iran reacts to Western sanctioning two Dutch members of the European Parliament]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  36. ^ Van Rijckevorsel, René (10 June 2023). "Stout Hongarije mag niet voorzitten" [Naughty Hungary is not allowed to preside]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 79, no. 23. p. 27.
  37. ^ a b "Proces-verbaal centraal stembureau uitslag verkiezing Europees Parlement Model P22-1" [Central electoral council report of the results of the election of the European Parliament Model P22-1] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 19 June 2024. pp. 11–12, 35. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  38. ^ "Uitslag Europese verkiezingen in Nederland gelijk aan prognose" [European election results in the Netherlands same as prognosis]. NOS (in Dutch). 19 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  39. ^ "Onze mensen" [Our people]. GroenLinks–PvdA (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  40. ^ "Onze kandidaten voor het Europees Parlement" [Our candidates for the European Parliament]. PvdA (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  41. ^ "Thijs Reuten". PvdA Europees Parlement (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  42. ^ Verkerk, Corrie (31 January 2004). "Chocola, daar ben ik expert in" [Chocolate, I'm an expert in that]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 13.
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