Kajsa Ollongren

Her Excellency Jonkvrouw Kajsa Ollongren
Ollongren in 2022
Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 January 2022
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Henk Kamp
Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 14 May 2020 – 10 January 2022 Serving with Hugo de Jonge and Carola Schouten
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Wouter Koolmees
Succeeded by	Wopke Hoekstra
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
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
In office 14 April 2020 – 10 January 2022
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Raymond Knops (acting)
Succeeded by	Hanke Bruins Slot
In office 26 October 2017 – 1 November 2019
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Ronald Plasterk
Succeeded by	Raymond Knops (acting)
Mayor of Amsterdam
Ad interim
In office 5 October 2017 – 26 October 2017
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	Irene van den Brekel ​ ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Alexander Ollongren Gunvor Lundgren
Residence(s)	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

Jkvr. Karin Hildur "Kajsa" Ollongren (Dutch: [ˈkɑisaː ˈʔɔlɔŋgreːn] ; Swedish: [ˈkâjsa ˈɔ̌lːɔnɡreːn] ; born 28 May 1967) is a Dutch politician serving as the Netherlands' Minister of Defence since 10 January 2022. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66), she previously served as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and second Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte cabinet (2017–2022), and briefly as Mayor of Amsterdam (October 2017).

Early life and education

Ollongren was born on 28 May 1967 in Leiden to Jhr. Alexander Ollongren, a Dutch East Indies-born astronomer and computer scientist, and his Swedish wife Gunvor Lundgren. The Dutch Ollongren, originating from the Russian branch of the Finnish-Swedish noble family (originally named Ållongren), was incorporated into the untitled Dutch nobility in 2002, thereby giving her the noble predicate "jonkvrouw". Because of her Swedish mother, she also has Swedish citizenship.

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.

Career in the 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, Ollongren 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.

Political career

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 first 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.

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 Ollongren to exercise these responsibilities in his stead from 19 September onward. The day after his death, on 6 October, Ollongren became acting Mayor of Amsterdam.

Minister of the Interior, 2017–2022

On 26 October 2017, Ollongren was appointed as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in Prime Minister 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. From 1 November 2019 to 14 April 2020, she was on medical leave of absence.

Following the 2021 general election, Ollongren (D66) and Annemarie Jorritsma of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) led the initial exploratory talks of the government formation. Both of them stepped down on 25 March 2021 after Ollongren was photographed carrying notes with confidential information visible. The talks had been suspended earlier that day, because Ollongren had tested positive for COVID-19.

Minister of Defence, 2022–present

Early in her tenure, Ollongren agreed to a Ukrainian request to supply 200 FIM-92 Stinger air defence rockets and 50 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank systems with 400 rockets in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Personal life

Ollongren is married to television producer Irene van den Brekel. The couple have two children.

External links

• Media related to Kajsa Ollongren at Wikimedia Commons