Henri Bontenbal

Henri Bontenbal
Bontenbal in 2023
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal
Assumed office
14 August 2023
Preceded byWopke Hoekstra
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
18 January 2022
Preceded byWopke Hoekstra
In office
29 September 2021 – 27 December 2021
Preceded byJoba van den Berg
Succeeded byHarry van der Molen
In office
1 June 2021 – 14 September 2021
Preceded byPieter Omtzigt
Succeeded byPieter Omtzigt
Personal details
Born (1982-11-10) 10 November 1982 (age 41)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Political partyChristian Democratic Appeal (2007–present)
Children2
EducationLeiden University

Henri Bontenbal (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɛnri ˈbɔntə(n)bɑl]; born 10 November 1982) is a Dutch politician and energy consultant who has served in the House of Representatives since 18 January 2022. He has been the leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) since 14 August 2023.

Before he became a member of parliament, Bontenbal worked in the energy sector and advised the CDA on energy issues. He participated in the 2021 general election but failed to be directly elected. In June 2021, he was first appointed to the House of Representatives as the temporary replacement of Pieter Omtzigt. He became a permanent member of parliament in January 2022 after having also replaced Harry van der Molen during his sick leave.

In August 2023, Bontenbal was put forward as lead candidate of his party for the 2023 general election.

Early life and education

Bontenbal was born in Vreewijk, Rotterdam as the fourth in a family of eight children and grew up in its southern borough of IJsselmonde (initially in the Lombardijen neighborhood). His father worked as a municipal cartographer in Rotterdam.[1][2][3][4][5] After graduating at gymnasium level from the Guido de Brès high school, he studied physics at Leiden University and he became interested in climate change mitigation in the last phase of his studies.[1][3][6][7] He decided to stop flying in 2006.[8]

Energy career

Bontenbal started his career at sustainability consultancy DWA.[9] In 2011 – after four years at DWA – he took a job as a policy officer for the CDA's caucus in the House of Representatives, focusing on sustainability, energy, and the environment. Bontenbal became an independent consultant specialized in renewable energy generation in 2013 and served at the same time as a junior fellow of the CDA's scientific bureau.[9][10] In July 2015, he started working as senior strategy consultant at gas and electricity network operator Stedin.[11] Bontenbal was placed 94th on the 2018 edition of the Duurzame 100 (Sustainable 100), a yearly list published by newspaper Trouw with the one hundred most influential Dutch people in sustainability. He had before criticized the list, calling it elitist and lacking of people who contribute behind the scenes.[12]

While working for Stedin, he frequently wrote op-eds and commented on energy policy in the media. He also recorded a 36-episode podcast series with energy researcher Remco de Boer in the years 2018–20 about the subject called Bontenbal & de Boer.[3][13] Bontenbal has supported an energy transition away from natural gas and has called it necessary to consider biomass and nuclear power for achieving climate goals.[14][15][16] He has also decried political parties that have solely blamed corporations for climate change.[17] In 2019, when the third Rutte cabinet was struggling with reactive nitrogen emissions, Bontenbal told Trouw that the CDA would not have a future if it would keep advertising itself as a party for the countryside. He explained that farmers, while important, are just one group of people, and that the CDA should have a story that resonates with the whole of society.[18]

Politics

First term in the House of Representatives

Bontenbal was the CDA's seventeenth candidate in the 2021 general election. He received 1,345 preference votes, and he was not elected, because the CDA won fifteen seats in the House of Representatives.[19] Bontenbal was appointed to the House on 1 June 2021 as the temporary replacement of Pieter Omtzigt, who went on sick leave.[20] He simultaneously left Stedin.[21] His focus in the House was on climate, energy, sustainable transport, and digital affairs, and he was on the Committees for Digital Affairs, for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, for Finance, and for Intelligence and Security Services.[3][22] Omtzigt returned to the House of Representatives from his leave on 15 September, bringing an end to Bontenbal's term.[11] However, Bontenbal was again sworn into the House on 29 September.[23] Joba van den Berg, who was temporarily replacing Harry van der Molen during his sick leave, became a permanent member of the body following Mona Keijzer's resignation. This caused a vacancy for Van der Molen's seat until his planned return on 28 December, which was filled by Bontenbal.[24] After a short period without House membership, Bontenbal was sworn in for a third time – this time as a permanent House member – on 18 January 2022 as the replacement of Wopke Hoekstra, who had joined the new fourth Rutte cabinet.[25] Bontenbal became secretary of the CDA caucus.[26]

With the CDA's scientific institute, he presented their climate vision in September 2021. It called for a green industrial policy and for talks with major polluters to make binding agreements about reducing emissions. The document also advocated government investments in infrastructure for the hydrogen economy.[27] That same month, he said that it might be necessary for the government to buy Tata Steel's blast furnace in IJmuiden either partly or in its entirety in order to make it more sustainable.[28] Together with Silvio Erkens (VVD), Bontenbal pled for two new nuclear reactors – as was agreed upon in the coalition agreement – to be constructed and operated by a new state-owned company that would also seek private investment.[29] Besides, he suggested in early 2022 to build small modular reactors to further reduce dependency on fossil fuels, calling it a promising development.[30] While global energy prices were steeply increasing, Bontenbal and Erkens proposed five measures to relieve consumers to Minister for Climate and Energy Policy Rob Jetten in October 2022. Their recommendations included mandating energy suppliers to offer fixed contracts, forbidding them to give discounts to new customers, and subjecting them to a yearly stress test as well as strengthening consumer protections in case of bankruptcy. The CDA and VVD had been responsible for liberalizing the energy market as part of the second Balkenende cabinet.[31] A motion by Bontenbal and Suzanne Kröger (GroenLinks) later passed the House that called on the government to prohibit door-to-door and over-the-phone sales of energy contracts.[32] Furthermore, following a call by the Consumentenbond, Bontenbal filed a motion to force the government to investigate a potential ban on loot boxes – purchases of randomized prizes in video games – out of a concern for gambling addiction among children. It was carried by the House in July 2022.[33]

Lead candidate

As a result of disagreements about asylum reforms within the governing coalition, the fourth Rutte cabinet collapsed on 7 July 2023. Party leader Wopke Hoekstra announced days later that he would not be the lead candidate in a snap election to be held in November following disappointing results in previous elections.[34][35] Polls were predicting the CDA would lose over half of its 14 House seats.[36] The party's board nominated Bontenbal as lead candidate on 14 August.[37] In his acceptance speech, he said that inequality had risen to high levels and that liberal and progressive parties centered around the individual, while he believed the CDA's campaign should revolve around a sense of community, values and norms, decency, solidarity, and responsibility.[38][39] Commenting on the party's electoral troubles, he said that the party should have carried out its ideals more clearly and that it had compromised too much.[40] To ensure the security of people's livelihoods, Bontenbal proposed in another speech to provide a job guarantee, support families with increased benefits, and lower income taxes through a hike in the wealth tax – revealing part of the party program.[41][42] In late August, when former CDA member Pieter Omtzigt announced that he would participate with his own new party – New Social Contract – the CDA fell to three seats in polls.[43] When the House returned from its summer recess on 5 September, Bontenbal succeeded Pieter Heerma as the CDA's parliamentary leader.[44] In the 2023 Dutch general election the CDA lost 10 of their 15 seats, getting the fewest number of seats in the party's history.[45]

Personal life

Until he moved to Ridderkerk as a member of parliament, Bontenbal had lived in the southern part of Rotterdam his entire life. He met his wife Hanneke as a member of the Reformed student association CSFR. She works as a midwife in Charlois, and the couple got married in 2006. They have two sons.[22][46][47][48] Bontenbal plays the piano and the saxophone, and he is a fan of Russian composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff.[3][49] On a 2023 campaign stop in Kampen, he played on the organ of its Bovenkerk, calling it his boyhood dream.[50]

Bontenbal was raised as a member of the Reformed Congregations but decided to move to the Dutch Reformed Church during adolescence; he is now a member of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.[1] He attends the Rotterdam Pilgrim Church, but has referred to himself as Protestant with a Catholic heart.[46] Bontenbal is a descendant of Claes Michielsz Bontenbal (1575–1623), who was beheaded for his role in a conspiracy against Maurice, Prince of Orange.[51]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Henri Bontenbal
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2021 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 17 1,345 15 Lost[a] [52]
2023 House of Representatives Christian Democratic Appeal 1 279,272 5 Won [53]

Notes

  1. ^ Bontenbal was appointed to the body later during the term due to a vacancy.

References

  1. ^ a b c Bontenbal, Henri (15 April 2022). "CDA-Kamerlid Henri Bontenbal: 'Met alleen kleine stapjes gaan we er niet komen'" [CDA House member Henri Bontenbal: 'Small steps won't take us there']. Nederlands Dagblad (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Gerard Beverdam. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Bontenbal hoog op lijst van CDA" [Bontenbal high on CDA party list]. AD/Rotterdams Dagblad (in Dutch). 28 October 2020. p. 2.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Henri Bontenbal". CDA (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  4. ^ Gruteke, Elsbeth (22 October 2021). "#7 - Henri Bontenbal; over zwaarmoedigheid, ouderschap, en de CDA klimaatkoers (S02)" [#7 - Henri Bontenbal; about melancholy, being a parent, and the CDA's climate vision (S02)]. NPO Radio 5 (Podcast). Levensbepalend (in Dutch). EO. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  5. ^ Van Schoonhoven, Gertjan (23 September 2023). "Een kind van de tuinstad" [A child of the garden city]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 79, no. 38. p. 30.
  6. ^ Baazil, Diederik; Hagen, Sal; Tielbeke, Jaap (10 March 2021). "Geen tijd meer voor gemiste kansen" [No time left for missed opportunities]. De Groene Amsterdammer (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  7. ^ Heijboer, Arij; Kraijenoord, Henk (14 August 2023). "CDA'er Bontenbal gelooft in verantwoordelijkheid nemen" [CDA member Bontenbal believes in taking responsibility]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  8. ^ Klaassen, Niels (14 August 2023). "Nieuwe CDA-leider Henri Bontenbal houdt niet van politieke spelletjes – dat is zijn achilleshiel én zijn grote kracht" [New CDA leader Bontenbal does not like political grandstanding – that is both his Achilles heel and his biggest power]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Henri Bontenbal benoemd tot fellow bij het WI" [Henri Bontenbal named fellow of the scientific bureau]. CDA (Press release) (in Dutch). 25 November 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  10. ^ Silvester, Mario (1 July 2014). "Pilots duurzame energie" [Renewable energy pilots]. Cobouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Drs. H. (Henri) Bontenbal". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  12. ^ Van Soest, Jan Paul (12 October 2018). "De groene parade van de Duurzame 100 maakt blind voor de realiteit" [The green parade of the Duurzame 100 obscures reality]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  13. ^ "PERSONALIA Personeelswisselingen in de energiesector" [PERSONAL DETAILS Personnel changes in the energy sector]. Energeia (in Dutch). 30 October 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  14. ^ Van Eijsden, Auke (16 December 2017). "'Zo snel mogelijk stoppen met gebruik aardgas'" ['Stop using natural gas as fast as possible']. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  15. ^ Bontenbal, Henri (1 July 2020). ""Emotie regeert in biomassadebat"" ["Emotions control biomass debate"]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Michiel Kerpel. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  16. ^ Balkenende, Frank (23 October 2021). "Oud-directeur kerncentrale Borssele adviseert over kernenergie - dat voedt twijfel over onafhankelijkheid" [Former president Borssele Nuclear Power Station gives advice about nuclear power, and that is causing doubts about independence]. PZC (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Henri Bontenbal, nummer 17 op kandidatenlijst CDA: 'Klimaatpolitiek moet ambitieus, eerlijk én wetenschappelijk onderbouwd zijn'" [Henri Bontenbal, the CDA's 17th candidate: 'Climate politics should be ambitious, fair, and based on science']. VNPI (in Dutch). 2 March 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  18. ^ Brandsma, Jelle (1 November 2019). "De boeren of besturen? Het CDA zit klem door het stikstofprobleem" [The farmers or governing? The CDA is stuck because of the nitrogen emissions problem]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Tweede Kamer 17 maart 2021" [House of Representatives 17 March 2021]. Databank Verkiezingsuitslagen (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  20. ^ Van der Aa, Edwin (12 June 2021). "Omtzigt kan Kamerzetel pas tweede helft september meenemen" [Omtzigt can take House seat no earlier than the second half of September]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  21. ^ "PERSONALIA Personeelswisselingen in de energiesector" [PERSONAL DETAILS Personnel changes in the energy sector]. Energeia (in Dutch). 4 June 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Henri Bontenbal". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Henri Bontenbal beëdigd als CDA-Kamerlid" [Henri Bontenbal sworn in as House member of the CDA]. Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (Press release) (in Dutch). 29 September 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Benoeming J.A.M.J. van den Berg-Jansen en H. Bontenbal tot lid van de Tweede Kamer" [Appointment of J.A.M.J. van den Berg-Jansen and H. Bontenbal as members of the House of Representatives]. Kiesraad (Press release) (in Dutch). 29 September 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  25. ^ "CDA'er voor derde keer op rij beëdigd als Kamerlid" [CDA member sworn in for the third time as House member]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  26. ^ Vrijsen, Eric (7 September 2022). "Stijgers & dalers van 2022 in Den Haag" [Rising and falling politicians of 2022]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  27. ^ "CDA pleit voor ambitieus klimaatbeleid: "Vooral industrie moet duurzamer"" [CDA advocates ambitious climate policy: "The industry especially should be more sustainable"]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). 8 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  28. ^ Winterman, Peter (9 September 2021). "Ingrijpend plan: 'Nederlandse staat moet Tata Steel kopen om vervuiling aan te pakken'" [Far-reaching plan: 'The Dutch government should buy Tata Steel to tackle pollution']. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  29. ^ Muller, Mike (13 March 2023). "VVD en CDA willen nieuw staatsbedrijf voor kernenergie: 'Kerncentrales taak voor Rijk en niet voor vrije markt'" [VVD and CDA want a new state-owned company for nuclear energy: 'Nuclear plants are a task for the national government, not for the free market']. De Limburger (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  30. ^ "CDA wil kleine kerncentrales bouwen" [CDA wants to build small modular reactors]. BNR Nieuwsradio (in Dutch). 6 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  31. ^ "VVD, CDA: verplicht aanbod jaarcontract en verbied overstapbonus energiebedrijf" [VVD and CDA: Obliged to offer one-year contract and prohibit bonus for changing energy supplier]. NOS (in Dutch). 11 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  32. ^ "Kamer wil snel einde aan verkoop energiecontracten aan de deur" [House wants to quickly end door-to-door sales of energy contracts]. Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  33. ^ "Tweede Kamer wil verbod op lootboxes in games" [House of Representatives wants a ban on loot boxes in games]. RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  34. ^ "Dit is wat we nu weten over de val van kabinet-Rutte IV" [This is what we know about the fall of the fourth Rutte cabinet]. NOS (in Dutch). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  35. ^ "Wopke Hoekstra niet meer beschikbaar als lijsttrekker CDA" [Wopke Hoekstra no longer available as CDA lead candidate]. AD (in Dutch). 10 July 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  36. ^ Vermeer, Oscar. "Het rommelt binnen het CDA en Bontenbal moet daar iets aan doen" [It is going badly for the CDA and Bontenbal has to do something about it]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  37. ^ Van de Ven, Liam (14 August 2023). "Henri Bontenbal door bestuur voorgedragen als lijsttrekker CDA" [Henri Bontenbal nominated by board as CDA lead candidate]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  38. ^ "Nieuwe CDA-leider Henri Bontenbal zet zich af tegen VVD en D66" [New CDA leader Henri Bontenbal dissociates himself from the VVD and D66]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). ANP. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  39. ^ Hofs, Yvonne (14 August 2023). "Nieuwe CDA-leider Henri Bontenbal wil weer verhaal over fatsoen en gemeenschapszin vertellen" [New CDA leader Henri Bontenbal wants to again tell a story about decency and a sense of community]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  40. ^ Van Eijsden, Auke (14 August 2023). "CDA-leider Bontenbal wil 'een nieuwe start' maken (met een oud verhaal)" [CDA leader Bontenbal wants to make 'a new start' (with an old narrative)]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  41. ^ "CDA wil basisbaan en hogere belasting op vermogen" [CDA wants job guarantee and higher wealth tax]. Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  42. ^ De Haan, Marko (1 September 2023). "Bontenbal: CDA bewoog afgelopen jaren te veel mee" [Bontenbal: CDA moved along too much in the past years]. NRC. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  43. ^ Kieskamp, Wilma (27 August 2023). "Het verdriet van CDA'ers: Omtzigt scoort wél met hun gedachtegoed" [The sorrow of CDA members: Omtzigt does soar with their ideas]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  44. ^ "Tweede Kamer, 105e vergadering Dinsdag 5 september 2023" [House of Representatives, 105th meeting Tuesday 5 September 2023]. Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  45. ^ "NOS - Uitslagen Tweede Kamerverkiezingen 2023". app.nos.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  46. ^ a b Brandemann, Ilse; Van den Bovenkamp, Niels (23 September 2023). "Henri Bontenbal is een katholiek protestant zonder franje. Wat karakteriseert de nieuwe CDA-leider?" [Henri Bontenbal is a Catholic Protestant without frills. What characterizes the new CDA leader?]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  47. ^ Ewoud Kieviet (10 February 2021). "De weg naar Den Haag: Henri Bontenbal (CDA)" [The road to The Hague: Henri Bontenbal (CDA)]. SoundCloud (Podcast) (in Dutch). Coolsingelpraat. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  48. ^ Remco de Boer (11 March 2021). "S29: Henri Bontenbal over politicus zijn, campagne voeren en de spannende race naar 17 maart" [S29: Henri Bontenbal about being a politician, campaigning, and the exciting race to 17 March]. SoundCloud (Podcast) (in Dutch). Studio Energie. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  49. ^ Verspreek, Paul (8 February 2019). "Rijnmond Staat Stil bij Henri Bontenbal en het klimaat" [Rijnmond Staat Stil about Henri Bontenbal and the climate]. Rijnmond (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  50. ^ Schluter, Wim (15 September 2023). "CDA-lijsttrekker Bontenbal vol op het orgel in de Bovenkerk in Kampen: 'Het was een beetje een jongensdroom'" [CDA lead candidate Bontenbal plays enthusiastically on the organ of the Kampen Bovenkerk: 'It was a bit of a boyhood dream']. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  51. ^ Bontenbal, Henri (3 October 2022). "Henri Bontenbal (CDA): 'Makkelijk scoren tegen bedrijfsleven'" [Henri Bontenbal (CDA): 'Easy to score against the business community']. VNO-NCW (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Paul Scheer. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  52. ^ "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. 22–60, 162. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  53. ^ "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. 37–38. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal
2023-present 		Incumbent
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