On Tuesday, November 11, the Senate commemorated former senator Geert Reuten, who passed away on July 29 at the age of 79. He was a member of the Senate for nine years representing the SP: from June 12, 2007 to June 9, 2015 and from June 26, 2018 to June 11, 2019.
Reuten studied sociological economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam and economics at Birkbeck College in London. In 1988, he earned his doctorate with research on the value determination of economic policy. He was, among other roles, associate professor of economics and director of the masters program in economics at the University of Amsterdam. Moreover, he was an internationally renowned expert on the life and work of Karl Marx. In The Little Marx (2019), Reuten summarized Marxs main work of 2200 pages into eighty pages.
In the Senate, Reuten was the spokesperson for finance and economic affairs for his faction. He was known for his thorough contributions, supported by figures and statistics. His contributions were always available on paper for enthusiasts, with endnotes for additional information.
Senate President Mei Li Vos said during the commemoration: Geert Reuten was a serious and principled scholar and parliamentarian. As a member of the Senate, he kept Marxs eleventh thesis in mind: we must not only interpret the world but also change it. May our respect for his person and his contributions to society and Dutch parliamentary democracy be a support to his family and friends.
