Ronald van Raak
Encyclopedia
Antonius Adrianus Gerardus Maria (Ronald) van Raak (born October 30, 1969 in Hilvarenbeek
) is a Dutch
politician
, non-fiction
writer and former academic. As a member of the Socialist Party
(Socialistische Partij) he has been an MP since November 30, 2006. He focuses on matters of home affairs, Kingdom relations
, the Dutch Royal House
and general affairs. From 2003 to 2006 he was a Senator.
background; his father was a truck driver
. He grew up in his native village and attended secondary education in Tilburg
. Afterwards he studied both social history
and philosophy
at Erasmus University Rotterdam and got promoted in humanities
at the University of Amsterdam.
On April 1, 2000 he joined the Socialist Party and started to work at SP's think tank
. Three years later he became director.
In 2003 he was elected into the Dutch Senate and was a member from June 10 that year till November 28, 2006. In November 2006 he was elected into the Dutch House of Representatives. The same month he changed positions, instead of being director he became SP's think tank chairman.
From 2001 to 2005 he also taught history at the University of Amsterdam.
Hilvarenbeek
Hilvarenbeek is a municipality and a town in the south of the Netherlands, along the border with Belgium.- Population centres :The municipality of Hilvarenbeek also includes the following villages with their own churches: Baarschot, Biest-Houtakker, Diessen, Esbeek and Haghorst.In addition, the...
) is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
writer and former academic. As a member of the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
(Socialistische Partij) he has been an MP since November 30, 2006. He focuses on matters of home affairs, Kingdom relations
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, the Dutch Royal House
Dutch Royal House
In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Monarchy is a constitutional office and is controlled by the constitution of the Netherlands. A distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the Royal House. The royal family is the Orange-Nassau family, however not every member is a...
and general affairs. From 2003 to 2006 he was a Senator.
Biography
Van Raak is of a working-classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
background; his father was a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
. He grew up in his native village and attended secondary education in Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
. Afterwards he studied both social history
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Erasmus University Rotterdam and got promoted in humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
at the University of Amsterdam.
On April 1, 2000 he joined the Socialist Party and started to work at SP's think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
. Three years later he became director.
In 2003 he was elected into the Dutch Senate and was a member from June 10 that year till November 28, 2006. In November 2006 he was elected into the Dutch House of Representatives. The same month he changed positions, instead of being director he became SP's think tank chairman.
From 2001 to 2005 he also taught history at the University of Amsterdam.