World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid (WLA – CdM), the largest forum of democratically elected former Heads of State and Government, added the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002-2010), Jan Peter Balkenende as new Member to an extensive list of leaders working to promote democratic values, good governance and the well-being of citizens.
Thanks to this new addition, WLA – CdM currently stands at 111 Members from 71 different countries. New Members must reflect a balance in terms of political, gender, geographical and cultural diversity.
Following the decision of the last Board of Directors meeting, Prime Minister Balkenende has been presented to the XVIII General Assembly for ratification as a new member and has been approved.
Member Jan Peter Balkenende became Prime Minister in 2002, with policies centered around reforms of the Dutch public services, reducing crime, and fiscal policy reform. He was also elected chairman of the parliamentary Christen Democratisch Appèl (CDA).
After his premiership, on 9 June 2010, Balkenende stepped down as leader of the CDA as well as his seat in the newly elected parliament, and became a Partner Corporate Responsibility for Ernst & Young and professor of Governance, Institutions and Internationalization at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, positions he still holds.