Kim Putters

{{Use British English|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kim Putters | image = Kim Putters (2021).jpg | office = Chairman of the [[Social and Economic Council]] | term_start = 16 September 2022 | term_end = | predecessor = [[Mariëtte Hamer]] | successor = | office1 = Member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] | term_start1 = 11 June 2003 | term_end1 = 15 June 2013 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1973|9|22}} | birth_place = [[Hardinxveld-Giessendam]], Netherlands | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] | education = [[Erasmus University Rotterdam]] }} '''Kim Putters''' ({{IPA|nl|kɪm ˈpʏtərs}}; born 22 September 1973) is a Dutch public administrator, former politician and administrator. From 2003 to 15 June 2013 he was a [[Senate (Netherlands)|Member of the Dutch Senate]] for the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]]. Since his retirement from the Dutch Senate, he was director of [[The Netherlands Institute for Social Research]] (SCP) until June 2022. Since 16 September 2022 he has been chairman of the [[Social and Economic Council]] (SER).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ser.nl/en/SER/who-is-who/kim-putters|title=Kim Putters chair SER |publisher=Ser.nl |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

==Early life and career== Putters grew up in a family that was active in the inland shipping industry.<ref name="nos"/> He was professor of Health Care Policy and Steering at [[Erasmus University Rotterdam]] until 2022, since 2022 he has been professor of Broad Welfare at [[Tilburg University]].

===Dutch Senate=== Putters served as a member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Dutch Senate]] from 2003 to 11 june 2013. From 2011 until his departure in 2013, Putters served as the First Vice President of the Senate. He also served as deputy leader of the PvdA in the Upper House. In the Senate, he focused on science policy and higher education, public housing and spatial planning, and public health, welfare and sport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parlement.com/9353000/1/j9tvgajcor7dxyk_j9vvknrezmh4csi/vge7dtpqd8up|title=Prof.Dr. K. (Kim) Putters |publisher=Parlement.com |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

From 2011 to 2013, he also chaired the Dutch parliamentarian delegation in the [[Inter-Parliamentary Union]] (IPU). In the municipality of [[Hardinxveld-Giessendam]], he acted as a council member, party leader, and formateur between 2002 and 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wur.nl/en/activity/The-Inclusive-Society-from-have-and-have-nots-to-can-and-can-nots.htm|title=The Inclusive Society; from have and have-nots to can and can-nots|publisher=[[Wageningen University]]|access-date=2 March 2023|archive-date=2 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302104338/https://www.wur.nl/en/activity/The-Inclusive-Society-from-have-and-have-nots-to-can-and-can-nots.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP)=== Putters served as director of the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) from 2013 to 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/current/news/more-news/dr-kim-putters-appointed-university-professor-broad-prosperity-tilburg-university|title=Dr. Kim Putters appointed as University Professor of Broad Prosperity at Tilburg University|publisher=[[Tilburg University]] |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> In that role, he directed the SCP and advised cabinet and parliament on the social issues of our time, putting them in a broader societal context.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/corporate/2018/43/to-make-the-right-choice-you-need-independent-data|title=To make the right choice, you need independent data|publisher=cbs.nl |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> Putters regularly wrote opinion pieces that appeared in ''[[Het Financieele Dagblad]]'', and ''[[de Volkskrant]]'' named him the most influential person of the Netherlands in 2019 and 2020. He often commented on growing dissatisfaction among citizens with politics and policy, as well as an increasingly fierce public discourse. He criticised budget cuts of the [[second Rutte cabinet]], and he called for the creation of a new social contract between citizens and "the elite" to allow for societal, economic, and ecological progress.<ref name="nos">{{Cite news |url = https://nos.nl/collectie/13962/artikel/2508868-informateur-kim-putters-riep-politiek-steeds-op-het-belang-van-de-burger-voorop-te-stellen |date = 14 February 2024 |access-date = 19 February 2024 |language = nl |website = [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] |title = Informateur Kim Putters riep politiek steeds op het belang van de burger voorop te stellen |trans-title = Informateur Kim Putter repeatedly called on politicians to prioritize the interests of citizens }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/02/14/weer-een-informateur-met-pvda-wortels-en-met-kennis-van-de-boze-burger-a4190104 |url-access = subscription |date = 14 February 2024 |last = De Witt Wijnen |first = Philip |access-date = 22 February 2024 |language = nl |website = [[NRC (newspaper)|NRC]] |title = Weer een informateur met PvdA-wortels en met kennis van de 'boze burger' |trans-title = Again an informateur from the Labour Party and with familiarity with the 'dissatisfied citizen' }}</ref>

===Social and Economic Council=== Putters has been a Crown-appointed member of the Social and Economic Council (SER) since January 2017 for his role as director of the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP). On 17 June 2022, the [[Council of Ministers (Netherlands)]] approved the appointment of Putters as president of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER). He succeeded [[Mariëtte Hamer]], who had been appointed by the [[Fourth Rutte cabinet|government]] of [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister]] [[Mark Rutte]] as commissioner for combating inappropriate behaviour and sexual violence, a new role in which she is tasked with coming up with a plan to tackle sexually inappropriate behaviour and sexual violence.<ref>Eline Schaart (12 February 2022), [https://www.politico.eu/article/netherlands-metoo-commissioner-mariette-hamer-sexual-assault-case/ The Netherlands appoints #MeToo commissioner after fresh wave of sexual assault cases] ''[[Politico Europe]]''.</ref>

Putters was appointed [[informateur]] as part of the [[2023–2024 Dutch cabinet formation]] on 14 February 2024. Selected by the [[Party for Freedom]] (PVV) – the winner of the [[2023 Dutch general election|November 2023 general election]] – Putters was tasked with investigating the most viable governing arrangement. [[New Social Contract]] (NSC) had left talks with the PVV, [[Farmer–Citizen Movement|BBB]], and [[VVD]] under the previous informateur, [[Ronald Plasterk]], while declaring it would still be open to a minority or extraparliamentary cabinet.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.ewmagazine.nl/nederland/achtergrond/2024/02/kamerdebat-drijft-beoogde-coalitiepartners-verder-uit-elkaar-1401409/ |date = 14 February 2024 |last = Vrijsen |first = Eric |access-date = 14 February 2024 |language = nl |website = [[Elsevier Weekblad]] |title = Kamerdebat drijft beoogde coalitiepartners verder uit elkaar |trans-title = House debate tears apart intended partners for a governing coalition }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.ad.nl/politiek/een-extraparlementair-kabinet-wat-is-dat-nou-weer~ad37d318/ |date = 14 February 2024 |last = Van Soest |first = Hans |access-date = 14 February 2024 |language = nl |website = [[Algemeen Dagblad]] |title = Een extraparlementair kabinet, wat is dat nou weer? |trans-title = An extraparliamentary cabinet, what does that mean? }}</ref> Putters eventually advised a coalition consisting of the same four parties with a concise [[coalition agreement]] and a cabinet comprised half of non-politicians. [[Geert Wilders]] agreed to forgo his wish to become prime minister.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/politiek/artikel/5440129/putters-enige-mogelijkheid-op-vruchtbare-samenwerking |date = 14 March 2024 |access-date = 14 March 2024 |language = nl |website = [[RTL Nieuws]] |title = Putters: 'Enige mogelijkheid op vruchtbare samenwerking is programkabinet' |trans-title = 'Program cabinet is the only possibility for productive cooperation' }}</ref> He later asked Putters to serve as prime minister, but he turned down the offer.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.ad.nl/redactie/schoof/ |date = 25 November 2024 |last = Hoedeman |first = Jan |access-date = 28 November 2024 |language = nl |website = [[Algemeen Dagblad]] |title = Zo belandde Schoof in het torentje |trans-title = This is how Schoof ended up in the ''Torentje'' }}</ref>

Putters has been a member of the [[Scouting|Scout movement]] from an early age. From 2008 to 2011 he was a board member of [[Scouting Nederland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thole |first=Herwin |date=2016-12-17 |title=Dit zijn de 10 invloedrijkste Nederlanders van 2016 |url=https://www.businessinsider.nl/dit-zijn-de-10-invloedrijkste-nederlanders-van-2016/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Business Insider Nederland |language=nl-NL}}</ref> Putters is also a member of the Advisory Board of the [[Dutch National Youth Council]], member of the [[National Committee for 4 and 5 May]] (since 2019) and vice-president of the social welfare foundation [[Oranje Fonds]] (since October 2016).<ref>NJR Advisory Board, [https://www.njr.nl/en/advisory-board/ Members of the Advisory board] ''[[Dutch National Youth Council]]''.</ref>

== Bibliography ==

* ''Veenbrand,'' [[Uitgeverij Prometheus]], 2019, {{ISBN|978-90-446-4009-0}} * ''Topvorm,'' co-authored with [[Maarten Janssen]], Uitgeverij Prometheus, 2022, {{ISBN|978-90-446-4959-8}} * ''Het Einde van de BV Nederland,'' Uitgeverij Prometheus, 2022, {{ISBN|978-90-446-5153-9}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Putters, Kim}} [[Category:Chairmen of the Social and Economic Council]] [[Category:Members of the Social and Economic Council]] [[Category:Labour Party (Netherlands) senators]] [[Category:21st-century Dutch politicians]] [[Category:1973 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Academic staff of Tilburg University]] [[Category:Academic staff of Erasmus University Rotterdam]]