40 Facts About Job Cohen

Marius Job Cohen was born on 18 October 1947 and is a retired Dutch politician and jurist who served as Mayor of Amsterdam from 2001 to 2010 and Leader of the Labour Party from 2010 to 2012.

Job Cohen worked as researcher at the Leiden University before finishing his thesis and graduated as a Doctor of Law in Jurisprudence.

Job Cohen worked as a professor of jurisprudence at the State University of Limburg from September 1983 until June 1993, he served as Rector Magnificus of the State University of Limburg from January 1991.

Job Cohen was appointed as State Secretary for Education and Sciences in the Cabinet Lubbers III following a cabinet reshuffle taking office on 9 June 1993.

In February 1994 Job Cohen announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1994.

Job Cohen continued to be active in politics and after the Senate election of 1995 was elected as a Member of the Senate on 13 June 1995 and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Justice, Education and Science.

Job Cohen returned to State University of Limburg and again worked as professor of Jurisprudence and served as Rector Magnificus from January 1995 until August 1998.

In December 2000 Job Cohen was nominated as the next Mayor of Amsterdam serving from 15 January 2001 until his resignation on 12 March 2010.

Shortly before an upcoming election Labour Leader Wouter Bos unexpectedly announced his retirement and Job Cohen announced his candidacy and was anonymously selected as his successor on 25 April 2010.

In January 2012 Job Cohen announced his retirement and that he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader on 20 February 2012 but continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a backbencher until his resignation on 29 February 2012.

Job Cohen retired from active politics at 64 and became active in the public sector as a non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government, and worked as a distinguished professor of Constitutional law and Governmental studies at his alma mater in Leiden from April 2014 until January 2019.

Job Cohen is the second child of Adolf Emile "Dolf" Cohen and Henriette "Hetty" Koster.

Job Cohen's mother became a member of the city council of Heemstede.

Job Cohen's parents were both early members of the Labour Party.

Job Cohen attended the secondary school Stedelijk Gymnasium in Haarlem from 1960 to 1966.

Job Cohen studied Dutch public law at the University of Groningen from 1966 and obtained his Master of Laws degree in 1971.

Job Cohen married Lidie Lodeweges on 2 July 1972 in Groningen.

Job Cohen studied Dutch language in Groningen and was a high school teacher.

Between 1 September 1971 and 1 September 1981, Job Cohen held a scientific position at the Bureau Research of Education at Leiden University.

Job Cohen obtained a doctorate from this university in June 1981, with a dissertation on the rights of university students.

On 1 September 1983, Job Cohen became professor of methods and techniques at the faculty of law; on 1 January 1991 he became rector magnificus of the State University of Limburg.

Job Cohen resigned from this position to become State Secretary for Education and Sciences in 1993.

Job Cohen has received two honorary degrees for his contributions to law and society, one in 2007 from the University of Windsor and one in 2008 from the Radboud University Nijmegen.

On 2 July 1993, Job Cohen became State Secretary for Education and Sciences in the third cabinet of Ruud Lubbers, under education minister Jo Ritzen.

In Job Cohen's portfolio were higher and academic education, science policy, and adult education.

The term of this post expired after a year and Job Cohen returned to his academic post in Maastricht.

From 13 June 1995, Job Cohen was a member of the Senate of the Netherlands.

Job Cohen resigned his position as State Secretary on 31 December 2000 in order to take up the position of Mayor of Amsterdam on 15 January 2001.

At midnight on 1 April 2001, Job Cohen became the first public official to wed same-sex couples, following the passing of legislation opening up marriage to people of the same gender.

On 2 February 2002, Job Cohen performed the civil marriage of Prince Willem-Alexander and Maxima Zorreguieta in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.

Job Cohen found himself thrown into the role of mediator between the city's Muslims, the original Dutch population and other groups in the cultural and racial mix.

On 27 January 2006, Job Cohen announced he would be willing to serve a second term as mayor of Amsterdam.

On 12 July 2006, the municipality of Amsterdam almost unanimously supported Job Cohen to prolong his career as a mayor after 15 January 2007 when his first term ended.

One of the reasons for this was Job Cohen's targeted approach towards those who commit multiple crimes.

Job Cohen stated that his policy which combines soft and hard approaches, fighting crime and fighting the causes of crime, was the key to his successful safety policy.

In 2006 Cohen was the runner-up in the award for World Mayor of 2006, behind Melbourne mayor John So, and ahead of Harrisburg mayor Stephen R Reed.

World Mayor praised Job Cohen's leadership following the murder of Theo van Gogh in 2004, and his efforts at bringing together the diverse population of Amsterdam.

In late 2007, Job Cohen moved to reduce prostitution in Amsterdam, following allegations that Hells Angels and other organized criminals had taken over the prostitution industry.

At the subsequent elections, Job Cohen was a candidate for Prime Minister.

Job Cohen has been chair of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives since 10 June 2010 and a member of the House of Representatives since 17 June 2010.