14 Facts About Stef Blok

Stephanus Abraham "Stef" Blok was born on 10 December 1964 and is a Dutch politician who served as Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy in the Third Rutte cabinet from 25 May 2021 till 10 January 2022.

Stef Blok is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.

An accountant by occupation, Blok served as a member of the House of Representatives from 25 August 1998 until 23 May 2002 and from 3 September 2002 until 5 November 2012.

Stef Blok served as Acting Minister of Security and Justice from 10 March 2015 until 20 March 2015 following the resignation of Ivo Opstelten and ad interim Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 29 June 2016 until 16 September 2016 during a sick-leave of Ronald Plasterk.

On 27 January 2017, Minister of Security and Justice Ard van der Steur resigned to avoid a vote of no confidence, Stef Blok was appointed to serve out the remainder of his term and subsequently resigned as Minister for Housing and the Central Government Sector the same day.

Stef Blok did not stand for the election of 2017 and announced his retirement.

Stephanus Abraham Stef Blok was born on 10 December 1964 in Emmeloord, now in the Province of Flevoland.

Stef Blok worked for ABN AMRO as a credit broker and later as a branch manager from 1989 until 1998.

Stef Blok was a member of the municipal council of Nieuwkoop from 1994 to 1998.

Stef Blok served as Acting Minister of Security and Justice after the resignation of Ivo Opstelten from 10 March until 20 March 2015 while retaining his other cabinet position.

Stef Blok resigned as Minister for Housing and the Central Government Sector on 27 January 2017 to hold the title of Minister of Security and Justice in a full position until 26 October 2017, following the resignation of Ard van der Steur.

Stef Blok served as Acting Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 29 June to 16 September 2016 while Ronald Plasterk underwent surgery.

In July 2018, Stef Blok expressed criticism of multiculturalism and argued that black African migrants could not be resettled in Eastern Europe because they would be beaten up, during a meeting that was later telecast on Zembla:.

Stef Blok's remarks led to the Government of Suriname to demand an apology and the island-government of Curacao, part of the Dutch Kingdom, to distance itself from the minister's remarks.