Guusje ter Horst

Guusje ter Horst
Member of the Senate of the Netherlands
In office 7 June 2011 – 9 June 2015
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
In office 22 February 2007 – 23 February 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Johan Remkes
Succeeded by	Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Mayor of Nijmegen
In office 15 April 2001 – 1 January 2007
Preceded by	Ed d'Hondt
Succeeded by	Thom de Graaf
Personal details
Born	Guusje ter Horst (1952-03-22) 22 March 1952 Deventer, The Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	PvdA
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (PhD, MSc)
Occupation	Politician Civil servant Psychologist
Website	Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations

Guus (Guusje) ter Horst (born 22 March 1952 in Deventer) is a Dutch politician of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). Between 7 June 2011 and 9 June 2015 she was member of the Senate. From 22 February 2007 till 23 February 2010 she was Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Balkenende IV. She was Mayor of Nijmegen from 15 April 2001 until 1 January 2007.

Biography

Ter Horst attended school in The Hague and subsequently studied at University of Amsterdam where she obtained a MSc degree in psychology. In 1984 she received a PhD degree in social science on her thesis concerning the question how people who never go to the dentist can be made to do so. Between 1986 and 1994 she was associate professor of Social Dentistry at the subfaculty of Dentistry of the University of Amsterdam.

In 1984 Ter Horst joined the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). In 1986 she was elected into the Amsterdam city council. In 1994 she became alderwoman, responsible for spatial planning, she initiated a major renovation of the city of Amsterdam.

In 2001 she became mayor of Nijmegen. During her six-year term, she moved to a new house every year, to get to know the city. In August 2006 Ter Horst was fined for drunk driving, strangely, without political consequence. On 1 January 2007 her term as mayor ended and she did not pursue a second one. She was succeeded by Thom de Graaf.

In 2010 Ter Horst received one of the Dutch Big Brother Awards for her lack of nuance in the privacy debate. Her project of a centrally organised fingerprint database for passports won an award as well.

She resigned, together with all PvdA ministers, on the morning of 20 February 2010. The Queen accepted the resignation on 23 February 2010.

References

• (Dutch) Parlement.com biography

External links

• (Dutch) Senate biography