Marjolein Faber Explained

Marjolein Faber
Office:Minister of Asylum and Migration
Term Start:2 July 2024
Predecessor:Office established
Office1:Member of the House of Representatives
Term Start1:6 December 2023
Term End1:2 July 2024
Office2:Leader of the Party for Freedom in the Senate of the Netherlands
Term Start2:10 June 2014
Term End2:6 December 2023
Birth Name:Marjolein Hillegonda Monica van de Klashorst
Birth Date:16 June 1960
Birth Place:Amersfoort, Netherlands
Party:PVV (2010–present)
Office3:Member of the Senate
Term Start3:7 June 2011
Office4:Member of the States of Gelderland
Term Start4:10 March 2011
Term End4:6 December 2023
Predecessor2:Marcel de Graaff
Successor2:Alexander van Hattem
Term End3:6 December 2023
Occupation:Nuclear laboratory technician
Technology specialist
Politician
Alma Mater:Corderius College
Children:2
Primeminister:Dick Schoof

Marjolein Hillegonda Monica Faber-van de Klashorst (born 16 June 1960) is a Dutch politician for the right-wing populist Party for Freedom (PVV), who has served as Minister of Asylum and Migration in the Schoof cabinet since July 2024. Previously, she was a member of the Provincial Council of Gelderland (2011–2023), of the Senate (2014–2023), and of the House of Representatives (2023–2024).[1]

Early life and career

Faber was raised in Amersfoort as the daughter of a butcher, and she attended secondary school at MAVO and HAVO levels. She started working as a laboratory technician at the Amersfoort Lichtenberg hospital in 1978, and she was simultaneously educated in nuclear medicine in Utrecht until 1984.[2] She switched her career to the IT sector in 1986, and she worked as a software engineer and IT specialist at various companies until she became politically active after seeing a television advertisement for the Party for Freedom.[3]

Legislative career

2011–2023: Senate and Provincial Council

Faber became a member of the Provincial Council of Gelderland for the Party for Freedom on 10 March 2011. She joined the Senate later that year, and she served as the PVV's parliamentary leader in the body starting on 10 June 2014, replacing Marcel de Graaff.[4] Describing herself to newspaper De Gelderlander, Faber said she has "hardline stances without nuance, such as prohibiting the Quran, closing all mosques, and getting rid of Islam". She also referred to her colleagues in the provincial council as fake representatives for allegedly not listening to the will of the people. She was deprived of the floor in the Senate after making the same accusation. She elaborated that she believed fellow senators were failing to protect the Netherlands, claiming the Dutch population was being replaced by an Islamic population.[5]

In 2015, reports came out that Faber had paid her son's company for maintaining the PVV Gelderland website with funds of the party's parliamentary group. It was later discovered that Faber's son had also created the website for the PVV parliamentary group in the Senate.[6] She had earlier uncovered irregularities in the travel expenses of Co Verdaas, which led to his resignation from the second Rutte cabinet.[2] In 2017, Faber – together with PVV members Wilders and Markuszower – protested against the appointment of PvdA member Ahmed Marcouch as mayor of Arnhem, with a large banner displaying the text "No Arnhemmistan! We are losing our country!".[7]

During the campaign for 2019 provincial elections, she argued for tax relief, and expressed her opposition to multiculturalism.[8] In response to a stabbing incident in Groningen that same year, she claimed the perpetrator had a North-African skin colour. Despite the three victims stating the perpetrator was white, Faber stuck to her original claim.[9] She complained about Dutch funding for the United Nations in a 2020 debate, and she said that organization was engaged in antisemitism, terrorism, and Dutch; Flemish: [[Umvolkung|omvolking]]. Prime Minister Mark Rutte subsequently noted the latter term originated in Nazi ideology. She was once again deprived of the floor in the Senate when she called the fourth Rutte cabinet a fifth column because of its immigration policy.[5]

2017–2024: NATO Parliamentary Assembly

In 2017, Faber became a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, a body of almost 300 parliamentarians from the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), supplemented by delegates from the associated member states. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is not a parliament, but a consultation of parliaments.[10]

2023–2024: House of Representatives

Faber was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2023, and she became the PVV's spokesperson for criminal law and human trafficking.[11] This ended her memberships of the Senate and the States of Gelderland.[12] She advocated solving a shortage of prison cells by implementing austerity measures in the prison regime, and she opined that the Public Prosecution Service was demanding too lenient sentences. In the House of Representatives, Faber is a member of five standing committees: Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Justice and Security, Kingdom Relations, and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Executive career

Since 2024: Minister of Asylum and Migration

Faber was nominated in June 2024 to serve as Minister of Asylum and Migration in the new Schoof cabinet, leading a new ministry.[13] Her selection was affirmed following crisis talks between the coalition parties after VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz had raised Faber's past controversial statements and tone.[14] [15] Faber apologized in confirmation hearings for her earlier usage of the word Dutch; Flemish: omvolking, while repeating her worries about demographic trends in the Netherlands.[16] The cabinet was sworn in on 2 July 2024.[17]

Personal life

Faber is married and has two children.[5]

Electoral history

Year! scope="col" rowspan=2
BodyPartyVotesResult.
Party seatsIndividual
2010House of RepresentativesParty for Freedomstyle=text-align:right 32style=text-align:right 327style=text-align:right 24[18]
2021House of RepresentativesParty for Freedomstyle=text-align:right 18style=text-align:right 1,057style=text-align:right 17[19]
2023House of RepresentativesParty for Freedomstyle=text-align:right 7style=text-align:right 4,390style=text-align:right 37[20]

References

|-

Notes and References

  1. Web site: M.H.M. Faber-van de Klashorst (PVV) . 2024-07-02 . www.eerstekamer.nl . nl.
  2. News: Marjolein Faber geldt zelfs binnen PVV als hardliner. Ze neemt nu alsnog 'volledig afstand' van term omvolking in een opmerkelijk charmeoffensief . subscription . 24 June 2024 . Heck . Wilmer . Van de Ven . Liam . 24 June 2024 . nl . . Marjolein Faber is considered a hardliner, even within the PVV. She now 'completely distances' herself from the word omvolking in a remarkable charm offensive .
  3. Web site: M.H.M. Faber-Van de Klashorst (PVV). Senate of the Netherlands . 7 May 2014.
  4. "M.H.M. (Marjolein) Faber-van de Klashorst" (in Dutch), Parlement & Politiek. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  5. News: 'Schreeuwer' die graag wordt gehaat, moet Brussel paaien voor strenger asielbeleid . subscription . 15 June 2024 . Righton . Natalie . 23 June 2024 . nl . . 'Shouter' who likes to be hated will have to placate Brussels to get a stricter asylum policy .
  6. Web site: 2024-06-14 . Dit is PVV'er Marjolein Faber, de in opspraak geraakte kandidaat-minister van Asiel . 2024-06-15 . RTL.nl . nl.
  7. Web site: 2024-06-14 . Dit is PVV'er Marjolein Faber, de in opspraak geraakte kandidaat-minister van Asiel . 2024-06-15 . RTL.nl . nl.
  8. News: Marjolein Faber (PVV): 'Stoppen met multicul-dingen en softe onderwerpen'. Lars Barendregt and Sjors Moolenaar. 18 March 2019. de Gelderlander. 29 September 2019.
  9. Web site: 2024-06-15 .
  10. Web site: NATO PA . 2024-06-13 . NATO PA . en.
  11. Web site: Tweede Kamerfractie . 31 March 2024 . nl . . House of Representatives group .
  12. Web site: Peelen . Gerwin . 2023-12-20 . Gehele PVV-fractie neemt afscheid bij provincie . 2024-06-15 . www.gld.nl . nl.
  13. News: Marjolein Faber, plotseling de beoogd minister van Asiel en Migratie . 14 June 2024 . 16 June 2024 . nl . . Marjolein Faber suddenly Minister of Asylum and Migration-designate .
  14. News: VVD-leider Yesilgöz: ook nieuwe PVV-kandidaat Faber niet onomstreden . 14 June 2024 . 17 June 2024 . nl . . VVD leader Yeşilgöz: Also new PVV candidate Faber not uncontroversial .
  15. News: Uitkomst crisisberaad: PVV-Kamerlid Faber blijft kandidaat-minister Asiel . 14 June 2024 . 17 June 2024 . nl . . Result crisis talks: PVV MP Faber stays on as candidate Minister of Asylum .
  16. News: Faber (PVV) neemt afstand van term 'omvolking', maar ziet wel zorgelijke demografische ontwikkeling . 24 June 2024 . 24 June 2024 . nl . . Faber (PVV) distances herself from word omvolking but is worried about demographic trend .
  17. News: Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd . 2 July 2024 . 2 July 2024 . nl . . Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in .
  18. Web site: Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2010 . Dutch Electoral Council . nl . 22 December 2023 . PDF . 16 June 2010 . Results 2010 general election . 30–31 .
  19. Web site: Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021 . Dutch Electoral Council . nl . 21 December 2023 . PDF . 29 March 2021 . Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021 . 18–19 .
  20. Web site: Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023 . Dutch Electoral Council . nl . 21 December 2023 . PDF . 4 December 2023 . Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023 . 33–34 .