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Annelies VerlindenBelgian statesman and politician
Date of Birth: 05.09.1978
Country:  Belgium |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Annelies Verlinden was born on September 5, 1978, in Merksem, Antwerp, Belgium. She earned her Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Antwerp in 1998 and went on to receive a Master of Law from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Subsequently, she spent a year studying European Union law. In 2013, Verlinden attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.
Legal Career and Political Beginnings
Verlinden became a lawyer at the Brussels Bar as well as at the Commercial Court of Antwerp. In 2002, she joined the international law firm DLA Piper, where she eventually became the head of the Belgian branch.
Concurrently, Verlinden was involved in student politics, serving as the president of the women's Catholic student youth organization (VKSJ) in Schoten. From 2005 to 2009, she was vice-president of the youth organization of the CD&V party.
Political Journey
Verlinden entered local politics in 2003 when she was elected as a municipal councilor in Schoten. She served in this capacity until 2012. In 2004, she ran in the regional Flemish Parliament elections as part of the CD&V/N-VA list but was not elected.
On October 1, 2020, Verlinden was appointed as the Federal Minister of the Interior in the De Croo government, representing the Flemish Christian Democrats and Flemish (CD&V) party.
