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Kajsa OllongrenDutch female politician
Date of Birth: 28.05.1967
Country:  Netherlands |
Content:
- Kaisa Ollongren: A Trailblazing Dutch Politician
- Family History
- Education and Career
- Political Career
- Personal Life
Kaisa Ollongren: A Trailblazing Dutch Politician
Kaisa Ollongren (born 28 May 1967) is a Dutch politician who has served as Minister of Defense since 10 January 2022. She is a member of the Democrats 66 party.
Family History
Ollongren comes from a noble family of Finnish, Russian, and Dutch descent. The first known member of her family, a bailiff named Johannes, lived in Porvoo, Finland, in 1485. In 1875, Alexandra Okonishnikova (later Ollongren) was invited to Russia by Grand Duchess Maria Fyodorovna to serve as a tutor to her sons, Grand Dukes Nicholas and George. Vladimir Ollongren (1867-1943) was awarded the rank of nobility on 21 July 1877. Kaisa's father, Alexander Ollongren, received the hereditary title of jonkheer in 2002.
Education and Career
Ollongren graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Amsterdam in 1985. She went on to study at the Clingendael Institute for International Relations and the National School for Administration in France.
Ollongren's career in government began in 1992 at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. She held various positions before becoming Director of European Integration in 2001. In 2005, she was appointed Deputy Director-General for Economic Policy and in 2011, she became Secretary-General of the Ministry of General Affairs.
Political Career
In 2014, Ollongren was elected councilor and First Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam. She became Acting Mayor following the death of Eberhard van der Laan in 2017. On 26 October 2017, she was appointed Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the third Rutte Cabinet.
Ollongren underwent surgery on her nasopharynx in 2019. Complications led to her taking sick leave from 1 November 2019. She returned to government as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on 14 April 2020 and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister on 14 May 2020.
Following the 2021 parliamentary elections, Ollongren was appointed Minister of Defense in the fourth Rutte Cabinet on 10 January 2022.
Personal Life
Ollongren is married to Irene van den Broekel, a television producer. They have two children together.
