Vera Alida Bergkamp (pronounced [ˈveːraː ʔaːˈlidaː ˈbɛr(ə)xkɑmp]; born 1 June 1971) is a retired Dutch politician. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, she served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 7 April 2021 and 5 December 2023.[1][2] She was a member of the House of Representatives between 20 September 2012 and 5 December 2023.[3]
Vera Bergkamp | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bergkamp in 2017 | |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 7 April 2021 – 5 December 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Khadija Arib |
| Succeeded by | Martin Bosma |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 20 September 2012 – 5 December 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 June 1971 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Political party | Democrats 66 |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Amsterdam |
| Alma mater | Hogeschool van Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (MSc) |
Early life and education
editBergkamp was born in Amsterdam to a Dutch mother and a Moroccan father.[4] At the age of 20, she adopted her mother's surname, because her father's surname was too difficult to write and to pronounce.[4][5] Her original name was Firouz Alida Chaouqui.[6] Bergkamp studied human resource management at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.[7] She also holds a master's degree in public administration and political science from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.[7]
Career
editFrom 2008 to 2012, Bergkamp was the director of the human resources department of the Social Insurance Bank (SVB), a Dutch quango responsible for administering national insurance schemes.[3] From 2010 to 2012, she chaired the LGBT rights organisation COC Nederland, as well as held a seat in the district council of Amsterdam-Centrum.[3]
In the 2012 general election, Bergkamp was elected into the House of Representatives as a member of D66. She was re-elected in 2017 and 2021. On 7 April 2021, she succeeded Khadija Arib as Speaker of the House of Representatives after the 2021 Speaker election.[2] On August 24 2023, Bergkamp announced in a letter that she would no longer stand for election and would leave national politics after the 2023 House of Representatives elections. She did not give an explicit reason for her departure.[8]
Personal life
editBergkamp is openly lesbian.[5] She is married and has two children.[9]
Electoral history
edit| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2021 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 3 | 29,613 | 24 | Won | [10] | |
References
edit- ^ "Vera Bergkamp (D66) gekozen tot Kamervoorzitter". NOS (in Dutch). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Vera Bergkamp (D66) verkozen tot Kamervoorzitter". NU.nl (in Dutch). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Drs. V.A. (Vera) Bergkamp". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ a b Vermeulen, Ella (7 April 2021). "Vera Bergkamp nieuwe voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer" [Vera Bergkamp the new chairperson of the Tweede Kamer (Dutch parliament)]. nouveau.nl (in Dutch). Pijper Media. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ a b "'Teamspeler' Vera Bergkamp (D66) wil verbinder zijn". NOS (in Dutch). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Jetten, Jacques (3 October 2022). "Arib in het Bergkamp" [Arib in the Bergkamp (pun on the names of the Dutch politicians Khadija Arib and Vera Bergkamp)]. riskcompliance.nl (in Dutch). Risk & Compliance Platform Europe. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Biografie, onderwijs en loopbaan van Vera Bergkamp". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Kamervoorzitter Vera Bergkamp (D66) keert na verkiezingen niet terug". nos.nl (in Dutch). 24 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "Vera Bergkamp (D66) nieuwe Kamervoorzitter: 'Dit is Champions League'". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021.
External links
edit- Profile at Parlement.com (in Dutch)
Media related to Vera Bergkamp at Wikimedia Commons
