R.A.B. (René) Claassen (born 13 July 1971) is a Dutch politician representing the Party for Freedom (PVV). He has been a member of the Provincial Council of Limburg since 2019 and a Member of the House of Representatives since the 2023 Dutch general election.
René Claassen | |
|---|---|
 René Claassen in 2023 | |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 6 December 2023 | |
| Municipal councilor of Landgraaf | |
| In office 30 March 2022 – 6 December 2023 | |
| Member of the Provincial Council of Limburg | |
| In office 28 March 2019 – 6 December 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | R.A.B. Claassen 13 July 1971 Heerlen, Netherlands |
| Political party | PVV |
| Alma mater | Maastricht University (MSc) |
| Occupation |
|
Early life and education edit
Claassen was born in Heerlen on 13 July 1971. He trained as a nurse and was employed in various roles in the healthcare industry before working as a training manager at the Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and completing a master's degree in applied science from Maastricht University.[1][2][3]
Political career edit
Claassen was elected to the Provincial Council of Limburg in March 2019 and to the municipal council of Landgraaf in March 2022. He quit both positions in December 2023.[1]
During the 2023 Dutch general election, he was elected to the House of Representatives on the PVV's candidate list, and he became the party's spokesperson for curative healthcare.[1][4] When the House was considering to expand a pilot program to legalize the cultivation and supply of cannabis, Claassen instead proposed to put it on hold. His motion was not supported by a majority.[5]
Electoral history edit
| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2021 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 31 | 657 | 17 | Lost | [6] | |
| 2023 | House of Representatives | Party for Freedom | 6 | 3,764 | 37 | Won | [7] | |
References edit
- ^ a b c "R.A.B. (René) Claassen MSc". Parlement.com. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Over René Claasen" [About René Claasen]. Partij voor de Vrijheid Landgraaf (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "René Claassen op nummer zes kandidatenlijst PVV" [René Claassen at number six on the PVV candidate list]. 1Limburg (in Dutch). 25 September 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Tweede Kamerfractie" [House of Representatives group]. Party for Freedom (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Bhikhie, Avinash (5 March 2024). "Kamer stemt tegen uitbreiding wietproef, maar wil door met experiment" [House votes against expansion cannabis pilot but does want to continue]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "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. 18–19. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "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. 33–34. Retrieved 21 December 2023.