Born on 5 August 1977 in Amsterdam, married, 2 children
Party: Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA)
We will work together to protect and strengthen our democracy and the rule of law. We will ensure that every region counts, that every region’s strengths are utilised and that people feel represented and heard. And we’ll do that by working closely with subnational authorities. Because everyone in the Netherlands deserves a government that protects democracy and listens to them.
- Good governance and relations between central government and other tiers, including municipalities and provinces
- Finances of subnational authorities
- Municipal boundary reform
- Constitutional affairs
- Public administration appointments
- Senior Civil Service (ABD) appointments
- General Administrative Law Act
- Elections
- Collective labour agreements for the public sector
- Legal status of political office holders
- Political parties (legislation and funding)
- General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD)
- Electoral Council
- Administrative responsibility for budget chapters IIA/IIB (Electoral Council, High Councils of State)
- Whistleblowers Authority
- Cross-border cooperation
- The nobility and civil honours systems
- Central-government-wide coordination of anti-discrimination policy and National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism (NCDR)
- Strengthening democracy, citizenship, participation and resilience of public administration
- Tackling disinformation regarding constitutional issues and public administration
- Vital Regions National Programme (NPVR, formerly Every Region Counts), Community Fund (including regional dispersion of central government jobs)
- Urban Agenda
- Regional Deals
- Coordination of follow-up to apology for the Netherlands’ role in the history of slavery
- Coordination of efforts to tackle the harsh effects of legislation and policy
- Legislation related to Groningen (Groningen Act, including delegated legislation)
- Reparations and prospects for Groningen, including accountability for the work of the government commissioner)
- 23 February 2026
Appointed Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Jetten government - August 2025 – 22 February 2026
Chair, Advisory Board on Safety in Groningen - June 2024 – 22 February 2026
Chair, Rent Tribunal - September 2012 – December 2023
Member of the House of Representatives for the CDA (served as leader and secretary of the parliamentary party and acted as assistant negotiator in coalition talks) - April 2011 – September 2012
Corporate communications manager, De Friesland, a health insurance company - April 2007 – April 2011
Head of media relations for the CDA in the House of Representatives - January 2006 – April 2007
Deputy head of media relations for the CDA in the House of Representatives - July 2002 – January 2006
Press officer for the CDA in the House of Representatives - September 2001 – June 2002
Information officer for the CDA in the House of Representatives
- 1995 – 2001
Political science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - 1989 – 1995
Secondary education, Damstede Lyceum, Amsterdam
- 2022 – 2023
Board member, Parliamentary History Foundation - 2012 – 2019
Board member of Stichting Machiavelli, a non-profit organisation with a focus on public communication - 2012
CDA campaign leader for the parliamentary election