Dutch Christian politician Gert Schutte dies (82)

The former party leader of the Reformed GPV was a member of the Dutch Lower House from 1981 to 2001. In that year, the GPV merged into the ChristenUnie (ChristianUnion). Schutte was appreciated by many for his position as the ‘constitutional conscience’ of the House, Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad writes.

After leaving Parliament, Schutte became a member of the Electoral Council, which advises the government and Parliament on legislative and implementation issues concerning electoral law and elections. He remained so until 2013.

“With Gert Schutte, a widely respected representative of Christian-Social politics has passed away”, is the reaction of current ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers to Schutte’s death. He describes him as “a righteous politician with an authority that far exceeded the size of his group”.

Als Haags ChristenUnie-team zijn we verdrietig na het heengaan van Gert Schutte.

We zijn dankbaar voor zijn indrukwekkende bijdrage aan de christelijk-sociale politiek en ook persoonlijk ga ik zijn warme meeleven zeer missen.

We bidden zijn familie kracht en troost van God toe. pic.twitter.com/EZjwGCBW9m

— Gert-Jan Segers (@gertjansegers) January 25, 2022

Prime Minister Mark Rutte reacted on Twitter: “With the passing of Gert Schutte, I think back to a politician of integrity and conscience. Christian inspired, steadfast and social. A man of one piece. I wish all the bereaved a lot of strength”.

Bij het overlijden van Gert Schutte denk ik terug aan een integer en gewetensvol politicus. Christelijk geïnspireerd, standvastig en sociaal. Een man uit één stuk. Ik wens alle nabestaanden veel sterkte toe.

— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) January 25, 2022

For a long time, he was secretary of the national GPV board. As early as 1963, he enrolled in the GPV’s leadership school. From 1974 to 1978, Schutte sat for the GPV in the Parliament of the province of Utrecht.

In 1981 he entered the Dutch Lower House for the same party. Until 1989 he was a one-man party; afterwards, he was assisted by Eimert van Middelkoop, the later Minister for Defence and Minister for Housing, Communities and Integration. All those years, Schutte was the chairman of the parliamentary group.

Glorious

For Schutte, politics as a ministry or a vocation was above all handwork Nederlands Dagblad writes. However, the practical work had to be embedded in a coherent vision. Schutte himself actively contributed to this reflection. In 2002, for instance, he wrote a brochure in which he rejected theocratic thinking but emphasised the importance of a Christian state, which is fundamentally about the honour of God.

Another core element of the GPV was the emphasis on spiritual freedom. During the years 1994-2001, when no Christian party was part of the government coalition for the first time, Schutte emphasised this. He asked for space for marriage officials with conscientious objections in the debates on same-sex marriage.

Schutte was a convinced Christian. To the question of a journalist what it would be like in heaven, Schutte answered in 1991: “It will be perfect. It will be more glorious than you can imagine.”