Martin Bosma
Martin Bosma | |
|---|---|
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| Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 14 December 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Vera Bergkamp |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 30 November 2006 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Martin Bosma 16 July 1964 Wormer, Netherlands |
| Political party | Party for Freedom (2006–present) |
| Alma mater | University of Amsterdam New School of Social Research |
Martin Bosma (born 16 July 1964) is a Dutch politician and former journalist serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since 14 December 2023. He served as a member of the House of Representatives for the Party for Freedom (PVV) since 30 November 2006. He focuses on matters of higher education, mass media and culture. On 14 December 2023, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. He has previously served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2017 until 2023.
Biography
Early years
Born in Wormer, Bosma studied political science with a specialisation in public administration at the University of Amsterdam and sociology at the New School of Social Research in New York City.
He worked many years for several news media, first as a reporter for one of his local papers, De Zaanlander, and as one of the principal anchormen for Hoeksteen Live, a monthly cable TV programme in the 1990s described as a "political programme with a cultural supplement",[1] and subsequently for outlets including CNN Business News, ABC's Nightline and NOS Journaal. From 2002 to 2004 he was director of Nederlandse Radiogroep and from 2004 to 2006 he was active as a political consultant for the PVV's predecessor Groep Wilders.
Political career
Bosma was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2006 general election. He was reelected in 2010, 2012 and 2017. He became a member of the Presidium of the House of Representatives, serving as the Second Deputy Speaker. As such, when Gerdi Verbeet resigned as Speaker on 20 September 2012, Bosma served as Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives until 25 September 2012.[2] He attempted to become Speaker in the 2016 election, but he came fourth, obtaining sixteen votes in the first round of voting.[3] He retained his position of Second Deputy Speaker. In April 2021, he made another attempt to become Speaker. On December 14, 2023, he finally succeeded with 75 votes out of 148 cast in total.[4]
Dutch National Politics
Since 2004, Bosma worked for the 'Wilders Group' and later for the Party for Freedom (PVV) that emerged from it, including as campaign manager. He also writes many of Wilders' speeches. [5]
During the formation of the Rutte I cabinet, Bosma was active as a negotiator. Together with his party colleague Tony van Dijck, he spent six weeks at the Dutch Ministry of Finance in order to find 18 billion euros in budget cuts with Minister Jan Kees de Jager (CDA) and State Secretary Frans Weekers (VVD).
For the PVV, Bosma was spokesman for Media and Culture and secretary of the PVV party. He is highly critical of public broadcasting, usually referred to by him as the "state broadcaster." Bosma is a declared opponent of the Dutch public broadcasting system. He often points to what he considers the left-wing character of public broadcasting, which he considers in violation of the Dutch Media Act. He is also an opponent of subsidies to the arts.
In March 2009, Bosma submitted a motion to limit the number of current affairs programs on Dutch public broadcasters VARA and NPS starting in 2010. This should reduce the "leftist character" of public broadcasting. [6] In September, he submitted parliamentary questions about "Islam propaganda" in public broadcasting children's programs. The parliamentary questions were submitted in response to a preschool program on public TV about Eid al-Fitr. [7]
Bosma has put in doubt the impartiality of the Judiciary of the Netherlands, claiming that "judges in the Netherlands are independent but not impartial; we see that many rulings resemble D66's program.” Opposition leader Jesse Klaver of GroenLinks confronted him during his 2023 candidacy for Speaker of the House of Representatives with his claim[8]
Bibliography
- De schijn-élite van de valse munters (Prometheus, 2010). ISBN 978-90-3513604-5
- Minderheid in eigen land (Bibliotheca Africana Formicae, 2015). ISBN 978-90-8591202-6
References
- ^ Derkzen, Sophie (27 June 2009). "Martin Bosma van de PVV". Vrij Nederland. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
- ^ "Drs. M. (Martin) Bosma". Parlement & Politiek (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "PvdA-Kamerlid Arib is de nieuwe voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer". NOS (in Dutch). 13 January 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ Martin Bosma (PVV) new Speaker of the House of Representatives, NOS.nl, 14 december 2023.
- ^ Jekyll & Hyde Vrij Nederland, (in Dutch) 18 september 2009
- ^ Bosma: Te veel actualiteitenprogramma’s bij VARA en NPS, PVV, (in Dutch) 19 maart 2009
- ^ Islampropaganda voor peuters op publieke omroep PVV, (in Dutch) 24 september 2009
- ^ Plenary Report House of Representatives, 25th session, December 14, 2023 December 14, 2023
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
- 1964 births
- Living people
- 20th-century Dutch journalists
- 21st-century Dutch journalists
- 21st-century Dutch male writers
- 21st-century Dutch non-fiction writers
- 21st-century Dutch politicians
- Dutch campaign managers
- Dutch political consultants
- Dutch political journalists
- Dutch speechwriters
- Dutch language activists
- Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands)
- Speakers of the House of Representatives (Netherlands)
- Party for Freedom politicians
- People from Wormerland
- The New School alumni
- University of Amsterdam alumni