Gerrit Zalm

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Gerrit Zalm
Dutch Minister of Finance
In office May 27, 2003 – February 22, 2007
Preceded by	Hans Hoogervorst
Succeeded by	Wouter Bos
Born	May 6, 1952 (1952-05-06) (age 56) Enkhuizen, Netherlands
Political party	Labour Party (PvdA), People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)
Website	www.gerritzalm.nl

Gerrit Zalm (born May 6, 1952) is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Netherlands. He was the longest serving Minister of Finance in the history of the Netherlands and has been responsible for numerous reforms of the Dutch economy.

[edit] Career until 1994

Following his graduation from high school ("HBS-A" level), Zalm began a study in economics at the Free University of Amsterdam, from which he graduated in 1975. In the same year he joined the Ministry of Finance. From 1983 he worked for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, where he eventually became a director. In 1988 he was appointed deputy director of the Centraal Planbureau, a state institution that, among other things, calculates the financial effects of government plans. In 1989 he became director there. In that capacity Zalm had, although not formally a politician, a significant influence on politics. From 1990 he also gave lectures at the Free University.

[edit] Career from 1994

Between August 22 1994 and July 22 2002, Zalm, member of the market liberal party VVD, was Minister of Finance in the first and second Kok administrations. The Dutch economy being very healthy during those years, he did not experience large difficulties.

During the first, short Balkenende administration, Zalm was the acting leader of the VVD fraction in parliament. On May 27 2003, he started his third term as Minister of Finance, in the second Balkenende administration, also serving as Deputy Prime Minister. On June 30, 2006, he succeeded Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst as Minister of Economic Affairs, ad interim, with most tasks delegated to junior minister Karien van Gennip. On July 7, 2006 Joop Wijn was appointed as the new Minister of Economic Affairs. On November 26, 2006, he announced in the Sunday morning talk show Buitenhof that he will step down from politics and will probably seek employment in the private sector.[1]