Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma (born 10 July 1981) is a Dutch politician of the D66 party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives between 20 September 2012 and 5 December 2023. He was first elected in the 2012 Dutch general election.
Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 20 September 2012 – 5 December 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma 10 July 1981 Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Political party | D66 |
| Residence(s) | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | University College Utrecht London School of Economics Utrecht University |
| Occupation | Politician Diplomat |
Early career
editPrior to being elected he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his period as a diplomat he was posted to the Dutch Embassies in Belgium and Afghanistan and to the Permanent Representation to the Palestinian Authority. [citation needed]
Member of Parliament
editIn parliament, Sjoerdsma serves as his party’s foreign affairs.[1][2] In addition to his committee assignments, he is a member of the Dutch delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. In February 2024, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the latter country for his unwavering support. He had called on the Dutch government to assist Ukraine by providing F-16 fighter jets, which it eventually did.[3]
Political positions
editIn 2019, Sjoerdsma publicly criticized Queen Máxima of the Netherlands over a meeting she held with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the 2019 G20 Osaka summit without raising the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.[4]
Sjoerdsma is an outspoken critic of China's human rights abuses in Xinjiang.[5] In March 2021, the Chinese government banned Sjoerdsma from entering mainland China and conducting business with Chinese firms in retaliation for European Union-imposed sanctions against four Chinese officials for their roles in perpetrating persecution of Uyghurs in China.[5][6]
Electoral history
edit| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2012 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 11 | 1,569 | 12 | Won | ||
| 2017 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 11 | 2,726 | 19 | Won | [7] | |
| 2021 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 4 | 4,929 | 24 | Won | [8] | |
References
edit- ^ Thomas Escritt and Harro Ten Wolde (July 23, 2014), Trading Dutch well placed to pursue Russia sanctions Reuters.
- ^ Michael Birnbaum (January 18, 2018), The new ambassador to The Hague might be Dutch American, but he’s not like anyone the Dutch ever met Washington Post.
- ^ "Oekraïense onderscheiding voor oud-Kamerlid Sjoerdsma" [Ukrainian award for former MP Sjoerdsma]. NOS (in Dutch). 15 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Toby Sterling (June 29, 2019), Dutch queen criticized over meeting with Saudi prince Reuters.
- ^ a b Emmott, Robin (22 March 2021). "EU, China impose tit-for-tat sanctions over Xinjiang abuses". Reuters.
- ^ NOS News (March 22, 2021) [1]
- ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2017 (getekend exemplaar)" [Results House of Representatives 2017 (signed example)] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 21 March 2017. pp. 114–115. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 62–100, 188–189. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
External links
edit- (in Dutch) Parlement.com biography
- (in Dutch) Sj.W. (Sjoerd Wiemer) Sjoerdsma MSc (Montesquieu Institute)