Kajsa Ollongren

Jkvr. Karin Hildur "Kajsa" Ollongren (Swedish pronunciation: [²ka͜ɪsa ˈɔlɔnɡreːn]; born 28 May 1967) is a Swedish-Dutch politician serving as second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 May 2020 and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Third Rutte cabinet since 14 April 2020. She is a member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party.[1]

Her Excellency Jonkvrouw Kajsa Ollongren
Ollongren in 2019
Second Deputy Prime Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 May 2020 Serving with Hugo de Jonge and Carola Schouten
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Wouter Koolmees ^[Acting]
In office 26 October 2017 – 1 November 2019 Serving with Hugo de Jonge and Carola Schouten
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Lodewijk Asscher
Succeeded by	Wouter Koolmees ^[Acting]
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 April 2020
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Raymond Knops ^[Acting]
In office 26 October 2017 – 1 November 2019
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Ronald Plasterk
Succeeded by	Raymond Knops ^[Acting]
Mayor of Amsterdam
In office 5 October 2017 – 26 October 2017 Ad interim
Preceded by	Eberhard van der Laan
Succeeded by	Eric van der Burg ^[Ad interim]
Personal details
Born	Karin Hildur Ollongren (1967-05-28) 28 May 1967 Leiden, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch, Swedish
Political party	Democrats 66 (1993–present)
Spouse(s)	Irene van den Brekel ​ ( m. 2004)
Children	2 sons
Father	Alexander Ollongren
Residence	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts) École nationale d'administration (Bachelor of Public Administration, Master of Public Administration)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant
Website	Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations

Personal life and education

Kajsa Ollongren was born on 28 May 1967 in Leiden to Jonkheer Alexander Ollongren, a Dutch East Indies-born astronomer and computer scientist, and his Swedish wife Gunvor Lundgren. Ollongren (originally Ållongren) is a Finnish-Swedish noble family which was incorporated into Dutch nobility in 2002, thereby giving her the noble predicate jonkvrouw.[2] Ollongren grew up in Oegstgeest where she attended the secondary school Rijnlands Lyceum between 1979 and 1985. She then went to the University of Amsterdam, where she initially studied economics between 1985 and 1986, but switched her field of study in 1986 to history, in which she obtained an M.A. degree in 1991. She subsequently studied public administration at the École nationale d'administration in Paris and foreign relations at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.[3]

Ollongren is married to Irene van den Brekel and they have two children.

Career

Civil service

Ollongren started her career in the civil service at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, becoming a policymaker in the area of Central and Eastern Europe there in 1992, in which capacity she trained young political parties of the newly established democracies in the area. She was head of parliamentary affairs within the ministry until 2001, and director of European Integration and Strategy from 2001 to 2004, and became Deputy Director General of the ministry in 2004. In 2007, she moved to the Ministry of General Affairs, the department headed by the Prime Minister, becoming Deputy Secretary General. She became Secretary General of the ministry in 2011.[3][4]

Local politics

After the 2014 local election, in which the Democrats 66 became the largest party of Amsterdam and entered the city's government, Ollongren became an alderwoman and second deputy mayor in Amsterdam, taking office on 18 June 2014. Her portfolio as alderwoman was extensive, including economic affairs, seaport, airport, participation, art, culture, local media, monuments and the city centre.[3] On 18 September 2017, the city's mayor Eberhard van der Laan announced in an open letter to the people of Amsterdam that he would step back from his public responsibilities due to ill health, leaving Kajsa Ollongren to exercise these responsibilities in his stead from 19 September onward.[5] The day after his death, on 6 October, Ollongren became acting Mayor of Amsterdam.[3]

Minister of the Interior

On 26 October 2017, Ollongren was appointed as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in Mark Rutte's third cabinet, succeeding Ronald Plasterk. She also became the second of the cabinet's three Deputy Prime Ministers, serving alongside Hugo de Jonge and Carola Schouten.[6] From 1 November 2019 to 14 April 2020 she was on medical leave of absence.

References

1. "Vicepremier Kajsa Ollongren (D66), een vertrouweling van Rutte" (in Dutch). NOS. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
2. "Noord-Nederlandse adellijke families". Hoge Raad van Adel (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 October 2017.
3. "Drs. K.H. (Kajsa) Ollongren". Parlement & Politiek (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 October 2017.
4. "Rutte moet zijn 'rechterhand' missen, maar wat deed die eigenlijk zoal?". NRC (in Dutch). 2 April 2014.
5. "Van der Laan schrijft afscheidsbrief aan Amsterdammers: Vaarwel". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch).
6. PressReader - De Telegraaf: 2016-10-13 - 'MKB sleepte Nederland door crisis. (in Dutch).

External links

Media related to Kajsa Ollongren at Wikimedia Commons

Official

• (in Dutch) Jkvr.Drs. K.H. (Kajsa) Ollongren Parlement & Politiek

Civic offices
Preceded by Richard van Zwol	Secretary-General of the Ministry of General Affairs 2011–2014	Succeeded by Paul Huijts
Political offices
Preceded by Eberhard van der Laan	Mayor of Amsterdam Ad interim 2017	Succeeded by Eric van der Burg Ad interim
Preceded by Ronald Plasterk	Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations 2017–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Lodewijk Asscher	Deputy Prime Minister 2017–present Served alongside: Hugo de Jonge Carola Schouten