Ahmed Aboutaleb

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Ahmed Aboutaleb
Ahmed Aboutaleb
In office
2007 – present
Preceded by Henk van Hoof
In office
2004 – 2007
Preceded by Rob Oudkerk
Succeeded by Lodewijk Asscher a.i.
Born August 29, 1961 (1961-08-29) (age 46) (age 46)
Beni Sidel, Morocco
Political party Labour Party (PvdA)
Residence Amsterdam, Netherlands
Religion Islam

Ahmed Aboutaleb (born August 29, 1961 in Beni Sidel) is a Dutch-Moroccan politician. He is State Secretary of Social Affairs and Employment in the fourth Balkenende cabinet.

[edit] Life

Aboutaleb grew up as a son of an imam in small Moroccan village in the Rif. Together with his mother and brothers he moved to the Netherlands in 1976. He then studied telecommunications, after which he found work as reporter for Veronica, NOS-radio and RTL Nieuws. He also worked at the public relations department of the Dutch health ministry.

Ahmed Aboutaleb in 2006
Ahmed Aboutaleb in 2006

In 1998, Aboutaleb became director of the Forum organisation, an institute dealing with multi-culturalism in the Netherlands. He also got a post as civil servant with the municipality of Amsterdam.

In January of 2004, Aboutaleb succeeded the plagued Rob Oudkerk as alderman in the city. Labour Party leader Wouter Bos in his book Wat Wouter Wil (English: What Wouter Wants) said that if the Labour Party would partake in forming the next cabinet after the 2006 elections, Aboutaleb would be offered a minister post. Abouteleb himself claimed at the time he wanted to focus on his work as alderman and that it was "important first that the PvdA wins the elections."[1] When the PvdA really did become part of a new coalition, Aboutaleb was just offered the job of State Secretary for social affairs, but said that he didn't mind the lesser function, and believed he could learn a lot from Piet Hein Donner, the candidate-minister of social affairs.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Dutch) "Bos biedt Aboutaleb ministerspost aan", Elsevier, 2006-11-01. 
  2. ^ "New cabinet ministers announced", Expatica, 2007-02-14. 

[edit] External links

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Fourth Balkenende cabinet (2007–present)
Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Ministers
Ministers
State Secretaries
Jan Kees de Jager (Finance) · Frans Timmermans (European Affairs) · Nebahat Albayrak (Justice) · Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations) · Marja van Bijsterveldt (Education, Culture and Science) · Sharon Dijksma (Education, Culture and Science) · Jack de Vries (Defense) · Tineke Huizinga (Transport and Water Management) · Frank Heemskerk (Economic Affairs) · Ahmed Aboutaleb (Social Affairs and Employment) · Jet Bussemaker (Health, Welfare and Sport)