René Claassen

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René Claassen
René Claassen in 2023
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
6 December 2023
Municipal councilor of Landgraaf
In office
30 March 2022 – 6 December 2023
Member of the Provincial Council of Limburg
In office
28 March 2019 – 6 December 2023
Personal details
Born
R.A.B. Claassen

(1971-07-13) 13 July 1971 (age 52)
Heerlen, Netherlands
Political partyPVV
Alma materMaastricht University (MSc)
Occupation
  • Politician

R.A.B. (René) Claassen (born 13 July 1971) is a Dutch politician representing the Party for Freedom (PVV). He has been a member of the Provincial Council of Limburg since 2019 and a Member of the House of Representatives since the 2023 Dutch general election.

Early life and education[edit]

Claassen was born in Heerlen on 13 July 1971. He trained as a nurse and was employed in various roles in the healthcare industry before working as a training manager at the Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and completing a master's degree in applied science from Maastricht University.[1][2][3]

Political career[edit]

Claassen was elected to the Provincial Council of Limburg in March 2019 and to the municipal council of Landgraaf in March 2022. He quit both positions in December 2023.[1]

During the 2023 Dutch general election, he was elected to the House of Representatives on the PVV's candidate list, and he became the party's spokesperson for curative healthcare.[1][4] When the House was considering to expand a pilot program to legalize the cultivation and supply of cannabis, Claassen instead proposed to put it on hold. His motion was not supported by a majority.[5]

Electoral history[edit]

Electoral history of René Claassen
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2021 House of Representatives Party for Freedom 31 657 17 Lost [6]
2023 House of Representatives Party for Freedom 6 3,764 37 Won [7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "R.A.B. (René) Claassen MSc". Parlement.com. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Over René Claasen" [About René Claasen]. Partij voor de Vrijheid Landgraaf (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. ^ "René Claassen op nummer zes kandidatenlijst PVV" [René Claassen at number six on the PVV candidate list]. 1Limburg (in Dutch). 25 September 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Tweede Kamerfractie" [House of Representatives group]. Party for Freedom (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  5. ^ Bhikhie, Avinash (5 March 2024). "Kamer stemt tegen uitbreiding wietproef, maar wil door met experiment" [House votes against expansion cannabis pilot but does want to continue]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 18–19. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 33–34. Retrieved 21 December 2023.