Rita Verdonk

Rita Verdonk

Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk (born October 18, 1955) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) later her own formed Proud of the Netherlands (Trots). She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets Balkenende II and III. During her time as Minister for Integration and Immigration she was considered to be the most powerful and influential Minister of the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. In 2006 after the Minister of Justice Piet Hein Donner resigned following a Netherlands Safety Board enquiry into a fire at a cell block near Schiphol Airport, she served as Minister of Justice from September 21, 2006 till September 22, 2006.

After the Dutch general election of 2006, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy lost seats and became the leading Opposition party against the Cabinet Balkenende IV. Verdonk became a Member of the House of Representatives, but after continuing disagreement with Party leader Mark Rutte she was expelled from the parliamentary faction of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy on September 13, 2007. One month later she cancelled her membership, after a reconciliation attempt failed and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy party board initiated a procedure of exclusion. In October 2007, she announced the creation of her own political movement, Proud of the Netherlands (Dutch: Trots op Nederland). She was the Lijsttrekker of the Proud of the Netherlands party for the Dutch general election of 2010, but didn't win any seats. On October 21, 2011 she announced her retirement from politics, the Proud of the Netherlands party eventually merged with the Independent Citizens' Party (OBP) of Hero Brinkman to form the new Democratic Political Turning Point (DPK) party.