Wim Kok
Willem (Wim) Kok (born September 29, 1938) was a Dutch politician and the Prime Minister of The Netherlands from 1994 - 2002, heading the cabinets Kok I and Kok II.
Born in Bergambacht, The Netherlands, Wim Kok started his career in 1961 at the socialist trade union of the Netherlands. He was chairman from 1973 until 1986.
In 1986 he succeeded Joop den Uyl as leader of the social democratic party PvdA (Partij van de Arbeid, Labour Party). From 1989 until 1994 he was minister of financial affairs in a cabinet with the christian democratic party CDA (Christen Democratisch Appèl) and the progressive liberal party D'66 (Democrats '66).
In 1994 he became Prime Minister in a cabinet with the liberal party VVD (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) and D'66. This "Purple" coalition was the first in decades to form a government without the CDA. After the elections in 1998 he led a second government with the same partners.
During most of Kok's time as Prime Minister, the Netherlands was booming economically and Kok was credited internationally for the dutch "Polder Model". This same "polder model" went out of fashion early 2002, which saw the rise of Pim Fortuyn, the right-wing populist political newcomer who was shot and died shortly before the May 2002 elections. Confused masses blamed Kok and his Purple coalition for being responsible for 'demonising' Pim Fortuyn, which supposedly led to his assasination.
After surviving this commotion, his cabinet fell just weeks before the May 2002 elections when Kok and all his ministers stepped down because of the discussion about the possible Dutch responsiblity in the Srebrenica massacre. After the elections he left politics, as he had already announced the year before.
He was succeeded as leader of the Partij van de Arbeid by Ad Melkert, who then lost the 2002 election.
See also: Politics of the Netherlands
