Sjoerd Sjoerdsma
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma | |
|---|---|
Sjoerdsma in 2026 | |
| Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation | |
| Assumed office 23 February 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Rob Jetten |
| Preceded by | Aukje de Vries (State Secretary for Foreign Trade) |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 20 September 2012 – 5 December 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma 10 July 1981 Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Party | Democrats 66 |
| Alma mater | University College Utrecht London School of Economics Utrecht University |
| Occupation | |
Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma (born 10 July 1981) is a Dutch diplomat and politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation since February 2026 in the Jetten cabinet. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, he previously served as a member of the House of Representatives from September 2012 to December 2023.
Career
Early career
Prior to his election to Parliament in 2012 Sjoerdsma worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During this period he was posted as a diplomat to the Dutch embassy in Afghanistan and to the permanent representation to the Palestinian Authority.
In Parliament
Sjoerdsma served three terms in Parliament before declining to run for reelection. In Parliament, he served as his party's spokesperson for foreign affairs.[1][2] In addition to his committee assignments, he was a member of the Dutch delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. In February 2024, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the latter country for his unwavering support. He had called on the Dutch government to assist Ukraine by providing F-16 fighter jets, which it eventually did.[3]
In government
In 2026 Sjoerdsma was appointed Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the newly-installed cabinet of Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
Political positions
In 2019, Sjoerdsma publicly criticised Queen Máxima of the Netherlands over a meeting she held with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the 2019 G20 Osaka summit without raising the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.[4]
Sjoerdsma is an outspoken critic of China's human rights abuses in Xinjiang.[5] In March 2021, the Chinese government banned Sjoerdsma from entering mainland China and conducting business with Chinese firms in retaliation for European Union-imposed sanctions against four Chinese officials for their roles in perpetrating persecution of Uyghurs in China.[5][6]
Decorations
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 5 December 2023 | [7] |
Electoral history
| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2012 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 11 | 1,569 | 12 | Won | ||
| 2017 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 11 | 2,726 | 19 | Won | [8] | |
| 2021 | House of Representatives | Democrats 66 | 4 | 4,929 | 24 | Won | [9] | |
References
- ^ Thomas Escritt and Harro Ten Wolde (23 July 2014), Trading Dutch well placed to pursue Russia sanctions Reuters.
- ^ Michael Birnbaum (18 January 2018), The new ambassador to The Hague might be Dutch American, but he’s not like anyone the Dutch ever met The Washington Post.
- ^ "Oekraïense onderscheiding voor oud-Kamerlid Sjoerdsma" [Ukrainian award for former MP Sjoerdsma]. NOS (in Dutch). 15 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Toby Sterling (29 June 2019), Dutch queen criticized over meeting with Saudi prince Reuters.
- ^ a b Emmott, Robin (22 March 2021). "EU, China impose tit-for-tat sanctions over Xinjiang abuses". Reuters.
- ^ NOS Nieuws (22 March 2021) "EU legt China voor het eerst sinds 1989 sancties op, D66'er op zwarte lijst".
- ^ "Afscheid van de Kamer in oude samenstelling". open.overheid.nl (in Dutch).
- ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2017 (getekend exemplaar)" [Results House of Representatives 2017 (signed example)] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 21 March 2017. pp. 114–115. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 62–100, 188–189. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
External links
- Rijksoverheid biography
- (in Dutch) Parlement.com biography
- (in Dutch) Sj.W. (Sjoerd Wiemer) Sjoerdsma MSc (Montesquieu Institute)