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Dispatch → Account → Drama
by 
The Free Republic of Knootoss.
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3 reads.
Cor Kramer
Born | Vuilendam, 21 March 1973 |
Nationality | Knootian |
Religion | Atheist |
Political Affiliation | United Socialist Front - Front Populaire (VSF-FP) |
Marital Status | Married (to Saskia de Rooije) |
Education | Meesterschap (Associate Degree) in Metal Turning and Milling Technology, Public Vocational Academy of Vuilendam |
Profession | Machinist, Trade Unionist, Politician |
Position | - Member of Parliament for the Hartstad Capital Region (2014 - present) |
Predecessor | |
Successor | n/a |
Cor Kramer was born in Vuilendam, a gritty industrial city defined by its dockyards and petrochemical plants. The youngest of three children, Kramer grew up in a politically aware household; his father was a dock worker and union organiser, and his mother worked as a part-time librarian. His families’ socialist beliefs placed them at the edge of the permissible under the anti-socialist legislation of the late liberal autocratic regime, and it later transpired that the family had been actively monitored by the security services until the democratic reform area of the early 1990s.
After attaining a Meesterschap (Associate Degree) in Metal Turning and Milling Technology at the Public Vocational Academy of Vuilendam in 1994, Kramer worked as a machinist at a petrochemical plant. While working at the plant, he became active in the newly independent Algemene Bond van Arbeiders in Industrie en Transport (ABAIT), or the General Federation of Industrial and Transport Workers in English. Realising the limits of direct action alone, he briefly pursued a university education whilst continuing to work part-time, though he found the university courses unrewarding and quickly dropped out.
Kramer’s career with ABAIT advanced rapidly after he returned to Vuilendam. He gained prominence for his role in a series of successful industrial actions, including a major strike in 2004 that secured significant wage increases for frackers. His approach focused on concrete outcomes, favouring long-term investments like pensions and workplace improvements over symbolic victories.
By 2009, Kramer was a central figure in national negotiations, where his pragmatic style and ability to build consensus among rank-and-file members earned him widespread respect. His leadership during disputes over port authority privatisation was particularly notable, helping to prevent a sale to a hedge fund whilst achieving better conditions for workers.
Kramer entered parliament in 2014 as a candidate for the United Socialist Front (VSF), representing the Hartstad Capital Region. In 2016, Kramer succeeded as party leader, arguing that corporate elites’ disdain for the safety of the workers in pursuit of profit was to blame for the Purendal disaster, and that more worker control could have prevented the situation from occurring. His strategy for the left to counter the far right Prime Minister Staalman dictated that the party should deliver on material issues. He framed the party, which merged into the VSF-FP under his leadership, as a voice for workers sidelined by mainstream parties. Under Kramer, the party increased support in traditional industrial regions and the francophone south.
Under his leadership the party gained 48 seats during the 2020 election, nearly equal to the Green share of the vote. He conducted fierce opposition against the centre-right Jonkervelde government and managed to absorb much of the Quarantist movement in the Purendal Exclusion Zone into his own movement by incorporating the neosyndicalist agenda and prioritising bread and butter issues over so-called “cultural distractions”. He opposed the Treaty of Nivelet on the grounds that it would harm his base of industrial workers.
Kramer nevertheless allied himself with Korfeld ahead of the 2024 election, negotiating for a pact that would see the KGP candidate supported in the race for Prime Minister in exchange for a promise that they would join a government together, ruling out a broad centrist coalition that would dilute the programme of the united left. The party gained 71 seats, gaining 23 during that election, becoming a larger force than the greens. He negotiated a deal to offer supply to a minority government of the SLP and KGP under van Jonkervelde, in exchange for a massive programme to build publicly owned, rent controlled housing, a repeal of anti-socialist legislation, a stronger role for unions, and legal support for workers’ councils, including a legalisation scheme for those already running in the Purendal Exclusion Zone.
Personal Life
Kramer is married to Saskia de Rooije, a primary school principal. The couple has two children: Matthias, who works in logistics, and Hanna, a university student studying environmental engineering. The family lives in a modest townhouse in Vuilendam.
Kramer spends his limited free time cycling and repairing old industrial equipment. He has occasionally participated in amateur ice skating during the winter months. He is a private individual, rarely discussing his personal life outside of close circles.
Personality
Kramer is known for his calm and methodical approach to leadership. In negotiations, he is seen as stubborn and detail-focused, with a reputation for staying the course until an agreement is reached. His temperament is characterised by quiet intensity; he rarely loses his composure but can deliver cutting critiques that leave little room for rebuttal. He prioritises practical results and has little time for abstract theorising. This has made him a tough negotiator but has also led to criticism from those who argue he lacks an interest in broader progressive issues.
