Gerrit Jan Schutte (24 May 1939 – 25 January 2022) was a Dutch politician and teacher. He was the party leader of the now defunct Reformed Political League (GPV), which later merged into the Christian Union (CU) from 1981 to 2001.

Gert Schutte
Schutte in 1982
Leader of the Reformed
Political League
In office
10 June 1981 – 13 February 2001
Preceded byBart Verbrugh
Succeeded byEimert van Middelkoop
Leader of the Reformed Political League
in the House of Representatives
In office
10 June 1981 – 13 February 2001
Preceded byBart Verbrugh
Succeeded byEimert van Middelkoop
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
10 June 1981 – 13 February 2001
Personal details
Born
Gerrit Jan Schutte

24 May 1939
Nieuwpoort, Netherlands
Died25 January 2022
Political partyChristian Union
(from 2002)
Other political
affiliations
Reformed Political League
(1973–2002)
ResidenceZeist
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant · Teacher · Author · Columnist

Early life

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After finishing high school in 1956 Schutte started working as a civil servant for the municipality of Giessenburg. He would work in the same function for the municipalities of Schoonhoven, Elst en Nieuwpoort. In 1968 until 1981 he was deputy-secretary, the second highest civil servant, of the municipality of Zeist. In the same years he followed a number of educations specializing in governing in local governments. From 1969 until 1974 he also taught Law for Municipalities.

Politics

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From 1974 until 1978 Schutte became a member of the States-Provincial of the province of Utrecht for the Reformed Political League. In 1981 he was elected in the Dutch House of Representatives. He was the only representative of his party and, because of that, Parliamentary group leader. In 1989 the party did get a second seat in Parliament and until his resignation in 2001 he worked together with Eimert van Middelkoop. In these years Schutte would become renowned as the Constitutional law conscience of the Parliament. He felt that other politicians didn't pay enough attention to the Constitutional laws.

Later life and death

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After his resignation, Schutte served as a member of the Select Board. He also investigated fraud of a number of Dutch institutions in the Higher education and was a member of the committee which was involved in preparing the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

Schutte was a columnist of the Friesch Dagblad and the Persunie. He was the father of six children and was a member of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). He died after a short illness on 25 January 2022, at the age of 82.[1]

Decorations

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Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
  Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 30 April 1997
  Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 13 February 2001

References

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  1. ^ "Oud-GPV-leider Gert Schutte (82) overleden". NOS. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
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Official
Party political offices
Preceded by Lijsttrekker of the
Reformed Political League

1981198219861989
19941998
Succeeded by
Office discontinued
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Reformed
Political League

1981–2001
Succeeded by
Parliamentary leader of the
Reformed Political League in the
House of Representatives

1981–2001