# Bob Ruers

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Dutch lawyer and politician

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Bob Ruers Member of the Senate In office 5 February 2019 – 11 June 2019 7 June 2011 – 20 June 2018 12 December 2006 – 12 June 2007 Leader of the Socialist Party in the Senate In office 19 May 1998 – 10 June 2003 Preceded by Jan de Wit Succeeded by Tiny Kox Personal details Born Robert Frank Ruers (1947-05-24) 24 May 1947 (age 79) Sittard, the Netherlands Occupation Attorney · politician

**Robert Frank Ruers** (born 24 May 1947) is a Dutch [politician](/source/Politician) and [attorney](/source/Attorney_at_law). On behalf of the [Socialist Party](/source/Socialist_Party_(Netherlands)) (SP) he was a [member of the Senate](/source/Senate_(Netherlands)) four times and briefly a [deputy](/source/Deputy_(legislator)) of the [provincial executive](/source/Provincial_executive) of [Limburg](/source/Limburg_(Netherlands)).

## Career

Ruers grew up in [Sittard](/source/Sittard), Limburg, where he attended [gymnasium](/source/Gymnasium_(school)) at the [Bisschoppelijk College](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bisschoppelijk_College_Sittard&action=edit&redlink=1). Initially he wanted to become a [priest](/source/Priest). During his studies in [Utrecht](/source/Utrecht) he became a member of the SP in 1972. Educated in [private law](/source/Private_law), Ruers worked successively at the [GAK](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeenschappelijk_Administratiekantoor) and the [NOS](/source/Nederlandse_Omroep_Stichting). From 1980 he was a [lawyer](/source/Lawyer) and [attorney at law](/source/Attorney_at_law).

In 1986, Ruers became the first [municipal councilor](/source/Municipal_council_(Netherlands)) for the SP in Utrecht. He was a councilor and [parliamentary leader](/source/Parliamentary_leader) until 2001. He was also associated with the national party apparatus of the SP, especially in legal matters. In 1995 he was the initiator of the *[Comité Asbestslachtoffers](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comit%C3%A9_Asbestslachtoffers&action=edit&redlink=1)* (CAS; 'Asbestos Victims Committee') affiliated with the SP. He conducted, among other things, compensation claims for former employees of [Eternit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Etex_Group&action=edit&redlink=1), who had contracted [cancer](/source/Cancer) as a result of [exposure to asbestos](/source/Asbestosis).[1]

On 19 May 1998, Ruers first became a member of the Senate, as interim successor to [Jan de Wit](/source/Jan_de_Wit), who left for the [House of Representatives](/source/House_of_Representatives_(Netherlands)). As a one-man faction and from 1999 a member of a two-man faction, he was involved in very diverse matters in the Senate. In 2003 he retired from politics to focus more on legal support for the CAS. From January 2000, Ruers was a member of the supervisory board of the *[Instituut voor Asbestslachtoffers](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Instituut_voor_Asbestslachtoffers&action=edit&redlink=1) [[nl](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instituut_voor_Asbestslachtoffers)]* (IAS).[1]

On 12 December 2006, he was sworn in again as a member of the Senate, succeeding [Ronald van Raak](/source/Ronald_van_Raak), who was elected to the House of Representatives in the [2006 general election](/source/2006_Dutch_general_election). In the [2007 Senate election](/source/2007_Dutch_Senate_election), Ruers was not in an eligible position. In the [2011 Senate election](/source/2011_Dutch_Senate_election), Ruers was in an eligible position and was re-elected to the Senate.

In March 2012, he obtained his [doctorate](/source/Doctorate) at [Erasmus University Rotterdam](/source/Erasmus_University_Rotterdam) with a thesis entitled "Power and Countervailing Power in Dutch Asbestos Regulations". On 20 June 2018, Ruers left the Senate after he was sworn in as a member of the [Limburg](/source/Limburg_(Netherlands)) [provincial executive](/source/Provincial_executive) on 15 June.[2] He remained active in the provincial government for only a few months. After speaking out against a [wind turbine](/source/Wind_turbine) plan that the coalition in Limburg was in favor of, [GroenLinks](/source/GroenLinks) submitted a motion of censure in September 2018. Because the [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(Netherlands)) and [Democrats 66](/source/Democrats_66) appeared to support the motion, the SP withdrew Ruers and SP deputy [Marleen van Rijnsbergen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marleen_van_Rijnsbergen&action=edit&redlink=1) from the board.[3]

On 5 February 2019, he was again installed as a member of the Senate as successor to [Anneke Wezel](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anneke_Wezel&action=edit&redlink=1) [[nl](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneke_Wezel)]. In the [2019 Senate election](/source/2019_Dutch_Senate_election), he was in an ineligible place on the list of candidates and was not re-elected.

## Electoral history

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2024)

Electoral history of Bob Ruers Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref. Party seats Individual 2024 European Parliament Socialist Party 25 997 0 Lost [4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tribune_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tribune_1-1) Tribune (2005-01-21). ["Advocaat Bob Ruers: Vastberaden strijd tegen asbestepidemie"](https://www.sp.nl/tribune/2005/sp-tribune-01-2005-advocaat-bob-ruers-vastberaden-strijd-tegen-asbestepidemie). *[Socialistische Partij](/source/Socialist_Party_(Netherlands))* (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-08-02.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["SP-senator Bob Ruers verlaat Eerste Kamer"](https://www.parlement.com/id/vkpbd08bj7hm/nieuws/sp_senator_bob_ruers_verlaat_eerste). *Parlement.com* (in Dutch). 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2021-08-02.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["SP stapt uit Gedeputeerde Staten Limburg na debat over windmolens"](https://nos.nl/artikel/2252507-sp-stapt-uit-gedeputeerde-staten-limburg-na-debat-over-windmolens). *[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting](/source/Nederlandse_Omroep_Stichting)* (in Dutch). 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2021-08-02.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-eu24_4-0)** ["Proces-verbaal centraal stembureau uitslag verkiezing Europees Parlement Model P22-1"](https://www.kiesraad.nl/adviezen-en-publicaties/proces-verbalen/2024/06/19/proces-verbaal-van-de-uitslag-van-de-europees-parlementsverkiezing-6-juni-2024) [Central electoral council report of the results of the election of the European Parliament Model P22-1] (PDF). *Dutch Electoral Council* (in Dutch). 19 June 2024. pp. 8, 62–63. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

## External links

- (in Dutch) [Socialist Party biography](https://www.sp.nl/node/154) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210420195252/https://www.sp.nl/node/154) 2021-04-20 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- (in Dutch) [Parlement.com biography](https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09llpsgcwk/r_f_bob_ruers)

v t e Members of the Senate of the Netherlands (2015–2019) Senate 9 June 2015 – 10 June 2019 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD: 13) ‹Hermans› Jorritsma Broekers-Knol (president) Bruijn ‹De Bruijn-Wezeman› Duthler ‹De Grave› Huijbregts-Schiedon Van Kappen ‹Klip-Martin› Knip ‹Krikke› Schaap Schouwenaar ‹Swagerman› Van de Ven ‹Wever› Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA: 12) Brinkman Atsma Van Bijsterveld Flierman ‹Hoekstra› N.J. van Kesteren Knapen ‹Lokin-Sassen› Martens Oomen Van Rij Rombouts De Vries-Leggedoor Democrats 66 (D66: 10) ‹De Graaf› Engels ‹Andriessen› Backer ‹Bredenoord› ‹Gout-van Sinderen› Pijlman Prast Rinnooy Kan ‹Schaper› Schnabel Stienen ‹Vink› Party for Freedom (PVV: 9) Faber ‹Aardema› ‹Van Beek› Dercksen ‹P. van Dijk› Van Hattem ‹T. van Kesteren› Kok ‹Kops› ‹Markuszower› ‹Popken› ‹Van der Sluijs› Van Strien ‹Van Weerdenburg› Socialist Party (SP: 9) Kox Van Apeldoorn Don ‹Elzinga› Gerkens Köhler Meijer ‹Overbeek› ‹Reuten› ‹Ruers› ‹Wezel› Labour Party (PvdA: 8) ‹Barth› Postema Sent ‹Beuving› ‹Fiers› Nooren ‹Schrijver› ‹Sini› Verheijen ‹Vlietstra› ‹Vreeman› ‹Van Zandbrink› GroenLinks (GL: 4) Strik ‹Binnema› Ganzevoort Lindmeijer ‹Vos› Christian Union (CU: 3) Kuiper ‹Bikker› Ester ‹Sietsma› Party for the Animals (PvdD: 2) Koffeman ‹Van Leeuwen› ‹Teunissen› Reformed Political Party (SGP: 2) Schalk D. van Dijk 50PLUS (50+: 2) Nagel ‹Baay-Timmerman› ‹Van Rooijen› Independent Senate Group (OSF: 1) Ten Hoeve Bold indicates the parliamentary leader (first mentioned); ‹Guillemets› indicate a member who did not serve the full term

v t e Members of the Senate of the Netherlands (2011–2015) Senate 7 June 2011 – 8 June 2015 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD: 16) Hermans Beckers Bröcker Broekers-Knol (president) ‹Bruijn› Dupuis Duthler F. de Graaf (president) De Grave Huijbregts-Schiedon Van Kappen Kneppers-Heynert Knip ‹Van Rey› Schaap Schouwenaar Swagerman Labour Party (PvdA: 14) Barth Beuving ‹Duivesteijn› Ter Horst ‹Koning› Koole Linthorst ‹Meurs› ‹Noten› Postema ‹Putters› Schrijver Sent Sylvester Vlietstra De Vries ‹Witteveen› ‹Van Zandbrink› Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA: 11) Brinkman Van Bijsterveld Essers Flierman Franken Hoekstra Van der Linden Lokin-Sassen Martens Terpstra De Vries-Leggedoor Party for Freedom (PVV: 10) ‹M. de Graaf› ‹De Graaff› Faber ‹Van Beek› Van Dijk Frijters-Klijnen ‹Klever› ‹Kok› ‹Kops› Popken Reynaers Sørensen Van Strien Socialist Party (SP: 8) Kox Elzinga ‹Gerkens› ‹Meijer› Quik-Schuijt Reuten Ruers Slagter-Roukema ‹Smaling› ‹Vliegenthart› Democrats 66 (D66: 5) Van Boxtel Backer Engels Th. de Graaf Scholten GroenLinks (GL: 5) Thissen De Boer Ganzevoort Strik Vos Christian Union (CU: 2) Kuiper Ester Reformed Political Party (SGP: 1) Holdijk 50PLUS (50+: 1) Nagel Party for the Animals (PvdD: 1) Koffeman Independent Senate Group (OSF: 1) De Lange Bold indicates the parliamentary leader (first mentioned); ‹Guillemets› indicate a member who did not serve the full term

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bob Ruers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ruers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ruers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.