Pieter Bukman (7 February 1934 – 15 March 2022) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.[2]

Piet Bukman
Bukman in 1980
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
3 December 1996 – 19 May 1998
Preceded byWim Deetman
Succeeded byJeltje van Nieuwenhoven
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries
In office
28 September 1990 – 22 August 1994
Prime MinisterRuud Lubbers
Preceded byBert de Vries (ad interim)
Succeeded byJozias van Aartsen
State Secretary for Economic Affairs
In office
7 November 1989 – 28 September 1990
Prime MinisterRuud Lubbers
Preceded byYvonne van Rooy
Succeeded byYvonne van Rooy
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
17 May 1994 – 19 May 1998
In office
14 September 1989 – 7 November 1989
Minister of Defence
In office
6 September 1988 – 24 September 1988
Ad interim
Prime MinisterRuud Lubbers
Preceded byWim van Eekelen
Succeeded byFrits Bolkestein
Minister for Development Cooperation
In office
14 July 1986 – 7 November 1989
Prime MinisterRuud Lubbers
Preceded byEegje Schoo
Succeeded byJan Pronk
President of the European People's Party
In office
10 July 1985 – 30 July 1987
Preceded byLeo Tindemans
Succeeded byJacques Santer
Member of the Senate
In office
10 June 1981 – 14 July 1986
Chairman of the
Christian Democratic Appeal
In office
11 October 1980 – 14 July 1986
LeaderDries van Agt (1980–1982)
Ruud Lubbers (1982–1986)
Preceded byPiet Steenkamp
Succeeded byWim van Velzen
Member of the
Social and Economic Council
In office
10 May 1968 – 1 December 1980
ChairmanJan de Pous
Personal details
Born
Pieter Bukman

(1934-02-07)7 February 1934
Delft, Netherlands
Died15 March 2022(2022-03-15) (aged 88)
Voorschoten, Netherlands[1]
Political partyChristian Democratic Appeal
(from 1980)
Other political
affiliations
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(until 1980)
Alma materFree University Amsterdam
(Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics)
OccupationPolitician · Diplomat · Economist · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Trade association executive · Lobbyist ·

Biography

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Bukman attended a Gymnasium in Delft from April 1946 until June 1952 and applied at the Free University Amsterdam in July 1952 majoring in Economics obtaining a Bachelor of Economics degree in June 1954 before obtaining a Master of Economics degree in July 1958. Bukman worked as a trade association executive for the Christian Farmers and Gardeners Association (CBTB) from August 1958 until December 1980 and served as general-secretary from May 1968 until September 1975 and as chairman from September 1975 until December 1980.

Bukman served as chairman of the Christian Democratic Appeal from 11 October 1980 until 14 July 1986. Bukman was elected to the Senate after the 1981 Senate election, taking office on 10 June 1981 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for agriculture. Bukman also served as President of the European People's Party from 10 July 1985 until 30 July 1987. After the 1986 general election Bukman was appointed Minister for Development Cooperation in the Lubbers II cabinet, taking office on 14 July 1986. Bukman served as acting Minister of Defence from 6 September 1988 until 24 September 1988 following the resignation of Wim van Eekelen. The Lubbers II cabinet fell on 3 May 1989 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. Bukman was elected to the House of Representatives after the 1989 general election, taking office on 14 September 1989. Following the cabinet formation of 1989 Bukman was appointed State Secretary for Economic Affairs in the Lubbers III cabinet, taking office on 7 November 1989. Bukman was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries following the resignation of Gerrit Braks, taking office on 28 September 1990. After the 1994 general election Bukman returned to the House of Representatives, taking office on 17 May 1994. The Lubbers III cabinet was replaced by the Kok I cabinet following the cabinet formation of 1994 on 22 August 1994 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher and spokesperson for development cooperation, development aid and Kingdom relations. After the Speaker of the House of Representatives Wim Deetman announced his resignation following his nomination as Mayor of The Hague, Bukman announced his candidacy to succeed him. Bukman won the election defeating party member and fellow frontbencher Ali Doelman-Pel and was elected as Speaker, taking office on 3 December 1996. On 23 September 1997 Bukman announced his retirement from national politics and that he would not stand for the 1998 general election and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 19 May 1998.

Bukman retired after spending 17 years in national politics and became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (International Food Policy Research Institute, LEI Wageningen UR, European Cultural Foundation and the World Food Programme).

Bukman was known for his abilities as a team leader and manager. Bukman continued to comment on political affairs until his retirement in 2018 and held the distinction as the first unified Chairman of the Christian Democratic Appeal and as the only Dutchman that served as President of the European People's Party as of 2024.

Electoral history

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A (possibly incomplete) overview of Dutch elections Bukman participated in
Election Party Candidate number Votes
1994 Dutch general election Christian Democratic Appeal 11
2022 Dutch municipal elections in Voorschoten Christian Democratic Appeal 40

Decorations

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Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
  Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown Belgium 6 July 1986
  Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour France 21 March 1987
  Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Germany 10 December 1990
  Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 8 October 1994
  Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Italy 1 September 1997
  Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown Luxembourg 30 April 1998

References

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  1. ^ "DRS. P. (Piet) Bukman". Archived from the original on 11 October 2022.
  2. ^ Jansen, Thomas; Hecke, Steven Van (2 June 2011). At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party. Springer. pp. 143–. ISBN 978-3-642-19413-9. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
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Official
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Christian Democratic Appeal
1980–1986
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the European People's Party
1985–1987
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Development Cooperation
1986–1989
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Defence
Ad interim

1988
Succeeded by
Preceded by State Secretary for Economic Affairs
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Bert de Vries
Ad interim
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries
1990–1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the House of Representatives
1996–1998
Succeeded by
Business positions
Preceded by General-Secretary of the Executive Board of the
Christian Farmers and Gardeners Association

1971–1975
Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by
Unknown
Chairman of the Executive Board of the
Christian Farmers and Gardeners Association

1975–1980
Succeeded by
Unknown