Carola Schouten

Cornelia Johanna "Carola" Schouten (born 6 October 1977) is a Dutch politician serving as third Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the Third Rutte cabinet since 2017. She is a member of the Christian Union (CU).[1]

Her Excellency Carola Schouten
Schouten in 2019
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 October 2017 Serving with Hugo de Jonge and Kajsa Ollongren Wouter Koolmees (2019–2020)
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Lodewijk Asscher
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Henk Kamp (as Minister of Economic Affairs)
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 18 May 2011 – 26 October 2017
Personal details
Born	Cornelia Johanna Schouten 6 October 1977 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Union
Children	1 child
Residence	Rotterdam
Alma mater	Erasmus University Rotterdam (Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant
Website	Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

Biography

A native of 's-Hertogenbosch, Schouten grew up in Waardhuizen, managing her deceased father's dairy farm with her mother and her two sisters for four years, after which time the family ended the farming activities and moved to neighbouring village of Giessen[2] (Waardhuizen and Giessen are nowadays located in the new municipality of Altena).

She attended Altena College in Sleeuwijk and studied business administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam with a year abroad at Tel Aviv University. Schouten worked at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment from 2000 to 2006. Subsequently, she was an assistant to the Christian Union parliamentary group before entering into politics by becoming a member of the House of Representatives in 2011 upon the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister André Rouvoet.[3] Schouten and party leader Gert-Jan Segers participated in the negotiations of forming the third Rutte coalition. Since autumn 2019 she has been facing farmers protests because of government's measures involving decreasing the number of livestock.

Carola Schouten is single with a child and is a member of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). She lives in Rotterdam. Her younger sister Marjan van der Meij-Schouten is a member of the municipal council of Altena, like her older sister on behalf of the Christian Union.[4][5]

See also

• Dutch farmers protests

References

1. "Vicepremier Carola Schouten (CU) heeft haar wortels in het boerenbedrijf" (in Dutch). NOS Nieuws. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
2. Ze schreeuwen het niet van de daken, maar Waardhuizen is trots op vice-premier Carola Schouten, Brabants Dagblad, 23 October 2017
3. Drs. C.J. (Carola) Schouten, Parlement.com
4. Municipal council of Altena
5. De minister die in Brabant campagne komt voeren voor haar jongere zus: 'Heel speciaal', Omroep Brabant, 18 November 2018

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Drs. C.J. (Carola) Schouten, Parlement.com
• Curriculum Vitae Carola Schouten, Government of the Netherlands