SP International :: Representatives
The SP Group in the Tweede Kamer (Lower House of Parliament)
A very important chapter in the history of the party was the breakthrough into the national political arena in 1994, with two SP members elected to the 'Tweede Kamer', Parliament's lower house and main legislative chamber. In 1998 the SP won five seats. On May 15th 2002 the most turbulent elections in Dutch history were held, resulting in a true political earthquake.
In the turmoil caused by the rise of a new rightwing populist party and the murder of its leader Pim Fortuyn just days before the elections, the SP succeeded in almost doubling its support, winning nine seats. In the elections of January 2003 – called as a result of the fall of the government late in 2002 – the SP won more votes then ever and rose from 5.9 to 6.3 percent.
Unfortunately, this was not enough to enable the party to gain more seats. In the elections of 22 November 2006 the SP grew from nine to twenty-five seats. Four years later, under more difficult circumstances, a vigorous campaign headed by new leader Emile Roemer enabled the party, which at one point had fallen to eight seats in the polls, to retain fifteen.
The SP group in the in the Tweede Kamer (Lower House of Parliament) is made up of:
1. Emile Roemer
(1962) - Teacher. Led the SP to a position as the biggest party in his local authority area., where he was a councillor and member of the council's ruling executive from 2002 to 2007. Since entering Parliament in 2006 he has been spokesman on Transport and Waterways, but in March 20110 succeeded Agnes Kant as leader of the parliamentary group.
2. Renske Leijten
(1979) – Studied Dutch Language and Culture at the University of Groningen. A former chair of the SP youth organisation ROOD, she is now spokeswoman on Health Care, Welfare and Sport.
3. Harry van Bommel
(1962) - Political scientist. Member of Parliament since May 1998, currently spokesman on foreign affairs and EU issues. Led, on behalf of the SP, the successful No campaign against the European Constitution.
4. Jan de Wit
(1945) - For twenty-five years a lawyer specialising in social issues, he later became a member of the Eerste Kamer (Upper House of Parliament, also known as the Senate) and since 1998 of the Tweede Kamer. A political jack-of-all-trades, he is currently the party's spokesman on legal affairs and asylum policy. In June 2009 he was sworn in as Chair of the Parliamentary Committee of Investigation into the credit crisis.
5. Ewout Irrgang
(1976). Economist and political scientist. Previously worked for the SP's parliamentary group and at the Bank of the Netherlands. MP since October, 2005. Responsible for financial and economic affairs.
6. Ronald van Raak
(1969). Historian and philosopher with a doctorate in the history of conservatism in the Netherlands. Formerly director of the SP Research Bureau. Has written a number of books on history and philosophy. From 2003 until his election to the Tweede Kamer, he was a member of the Senate. Spokesman on Internal Affairs and affairs concerning the Dutch Antilles and Aruba.
7. Sadet Karabulut
(1975) - Social administrator, formerly coordinator of drugs policy in Bijlmer and policy worker in continuing special education. Ex-member of the executive of the Turkish immigrants' organisation DIDF. Elected to Parliament in 2006, she is spokeswoman on poverty, integration and emancipation.
8. Paul Ulenbelt
(1952). Occupational and organisational psychologist. Took his doctorate in the effects of exposure to chemical substances. Employed for ten years by the FNV, the Netherlands' main trade union federation, where he established the Occupational Diseases Bureau, before moving to work for the SP group in parliament. Spokesman on pensions, work and incomes.
9. Jasper van Dijk
(1971) - Political scientist. Formerly university lecturer, then worked for the SP's political groups in both the Tweede Kamer and the European Parliament, at the same time representing the party on Amsterdam Council. Elected to Parliament in 2006, he is spokesman on education and on defence.
10. Sharon Gesthuizen
(1976) - Studied Dutch law and English. From 1998 to 2002, attended the Academy of Arts in Arnhem. Formerly member of the national student union the LSVb, and self-employed in the field of video production. Spokeswoman on economic affairs and justice.
11. Henk van Gerven
(1955) - For many years a general practitioner at the Ons Medische Centrum ('Our Medical Centre') centre in Oss, councillor, member of the council's ruling executive and of the Provincial Council. Member of Parliament since 2006, he is spokesman on health care and on the environment.
12. Manja Smits
(1985) – Studied history. Former chair of the SP's Groningen branch. Spokeswoman on primary, secondary and special education.
13. Paulus Jansen
(1954) - Architect. Previously policy advisor to the parliamentary group, then SP general secretary and Chair of the SP group on Utrecht council. Elected to Parliament in 2006. Spokesman on housing and on the environment.
14. Farshad Bashir
(1988) – In 2002 became active in the SP youth organisation ROOD. Formerly a member of the local council in Leeuwarden. Studied financial law. Became a Member of Parliament in 2008. An Afghan refugee, he has lived with his family in the Netherlands since 1997. Spokesman on fiscal affairs and on transport.
15. Nine Kooijman
(1980) – Youth worker. Previously worked as ambulance auxiliary and as a counsellor to families in difficulties. Has been branch chair in Nieuwegein and a policy worker with the SP parliamentary group. Spokeswoman on youth and justice (juvenile and family law).
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