Pieter Van Buskirk

Pieter Van Buskirk (born 27 March 1965) is a Marianan politician and the 40th and current Prime Minister of Mariana. Born in Carrington, he has spent years representing municipal and government politics for over thirty years as a member of the Social Democrats.

After earning a licentiate (old grade title) in economics from the Royal University of Palma in 1987, he began working in the municipal government of Carrington before graduating with a masters (old licentiate) in economics and international trade in 1991. He continued work with the Carrington government, eventually becoming a councillor in the 1993 municipal election, representing the Social Democratic Party.

After the fall of the second Willemont government in 1994, Van Buskirk announced his intention to run for congress for the SDP, and was elected as one of the younger representatives, at age 29. He was re-elected in 1998, as well as 2002, where he was appointed External Affairs Minister, serving in that position until 2005.

In opposition from 2005 to 2009, he ran for the SDP leadership to replace former Prime Minister Ines Michels in 2006, though fell short of votes and finished second. Elected for a fifth term in 2009, he was again appointed to the post of External Affairs as part of the Helms government, holding the position until 2012. He then declined appointment a ministerial portfolio in 2013, instead devoting his freer time to set up a charity underprivileged children and youth of Mariana.

After a few years away from the forefront in congress, he announced his intent to run for the Social Democratic party leadership in 2016 following the resignation of Gert Henneman as leader. Runnin a close campaign against firebrand Palma mayor Karen House and former PM Michels, he was able to finish first in both the first and second rounds to become the party leader. He would thus lead the party during the campaigning and vote of the 2016 Marianan general election, where the party made its worst showing since 2009 to finish in fourth place.

The failure to form a government, and the resignation of Prime Minister Wostor following the Green Party scandal saw a new round of elections take place, where the Social Democrats finished in first. A protracted government formation period was concluded in December 2017, and on 9 January 2018 Van Buskirk was sworn in as Prime Minister.

Early life and education
Pieter Van Buskirk was born in Carrington (Carrington province) to Martin Van Buskirk (1917-1985) and Eleonore Grantham (1926-2007). His father Pieter was an admirer of the Russian Revolution and was part of an armed socialist group during the 1933 crisis, eventually going to jail in 1934. His mother came from a very traditional Catholic family.

As a youth, he struggled to cope with his parents' distinct and often opposing views, helping to form his more moderate views later on. He did his primary education at Carrington South School (now Herbert Hosen Primary School) and his secondary studies at Halsey College, where he would graduate in 1983. During his college years, he actively participated in anti-nuclear weapons protests, and against the proposed stationing of United Commonwealth jet fighters in Mariana in the period.

Upon graduating, he began attending the Royal University of Palma to study economics. Though he studied full-time, he obtained a job as a mechanic's apprentice in Palma, learning to fix vehicles. He obtained his grade title (now called a licentiate) in 1987, and after two years of working with the Carrington government, he enrolled at the University of Ciutadella, completing a licentiate (a masters) in economics and trade in 1991, taking a heavier schedule in order to finish one year ahead.