Kees van der Staaij

Van der Staaij was born in Vlaardingen, a city in the province of South Holland. His father was a civil servant in the municipality of Maartensdijk. He went to two Reformed primary schools in Vlaardingen (1974–1979) and Geldermalsen (1979–1980) and to a Reformed secondary school in Amersfoort (1980–1986). He studied law at Leiden University, specialising in constitutional and administrative law. ==Politics==

Van der Staaij was attracted to politics and became a member of the conservative Reformed Christian SGP party in 1986. After several jobs at the Council of State, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998. In 2010 he became party leader as well as parliamentary leader in both cases succeeding Bas van der Vlies. He led his party as lead candidate in the 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2021 general elections. Van der Staaij announced that he would not seek re-election in November 2023. He succeeded Marja van Bijsterveldt as special envoy for the maritime industry, advising the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, in February 2024, and he returned to the Council of State in June 2024 as a state councillor in its advisory division. ==Political positions==

Van der Staaij was considered one of the most conservative and right-wing political leaders in the Netherlands. He signed the 2017 anti-LGBTQ Nashville Statement and supported anti-abortion organisations, making sure such organisations were granted more subsidies. Before the 2012 general election, when asked whether he agreed with American politician Todd Akin's comments on "legitimate rape" and pregnancy, he said "it is a fact" that women "seldom" become pregnant after being raped, although he added rape is "terrible". He later pointed towards a study he read on the matter, adding: "There may be conflicting studies on this, I will take note of that with respect." He stated that Akin lacked compassion in his comments, but that abortion policy in the Netherlands had gone too far. During the campaign he and his party focused on the importance of faith and community in society and advocated for theocracy. ==Personal life==

Van der Staaij is married and lives in Benthuizen, South Holland. He and his wife adopted two children born in Colombia. ==Decorations==