Paul Smeulders Explained

Paul Smeulders
Office1:Member of the House of Representatives
Term Start1:6 June 2018
Term End1:30 March 2021
Predecessor1:Linda Voortman
Office2:Alderman of Arnhem
Term Start2:2022
Office3:Alderman of Helmond
Term Start3:2014
Term End3:2018
Office4:Member of the Provincial Council of North Brabant
Term Start4:2011
Term End4:2014
Birth Name:Paul Smeulders
Birth Date:15 July 1987
Birth Place:Helmond, Netherlands
Party:GroenLinks
Occupation:Politician

Paul Smeulders (pronounced as /nl/; born 15 July 1987) is a Dutch politician of GroenLinks.

Education and career

Born in Helmond, Smeulders studied public administration successively at the Avans University of Applied Sciences and Tilburg University between 2004 and 2010. He worked as a public affairs adviser at Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, and he became a member of the Provincial Council of North Brabant in 2011, serving as GroenLinks's parliamentary leader. Smeulders left the council in 2014 to become alderman for finances, sustainability, and land in Helmond.[1] [2]

He did not secure a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2017 general election, but he was appointed to the body in June 2018 to succeed Linda Voortman.[3] Smeulders lost his bid for re-election in 2021, bringing his membership of the House to an end on 30 March.[4] [5] He was appointed alderman for finances, housing, and refugees in Arnhem the following year after having formed the municipality's executive as (in)formateur.[2] [6] He announced in 2024 that Arnhem would house 1,700 asylum seekers for the next 30 years – 980 more than required by the national government – and he signaled that refugees were welcome.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biografie, onderwijs en loopbaan van Paul Smeulders . nl . Biography, education, and career of Paul Smeulders . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124173501/https://www.tweedekamer.nl/node/5018/biografie . 24 January 2021 . . .
  2. Web site: Paul Smeulders . nl . https://web.archive.org/web/20231202191921/https://www.arnhem.nl/Bestuur/college_van_b_w/Paul_Smeulders . 2 December 2023 . . .
  3. News: Jongensdroom van Paul Smeulders komt uit, hij wordt Tweede Kamerlid: 'Brabant op de kaart zetten' . Van Otterdijk . Frits . 24 April 2018 . 7 May 2024 . nl . . 'Boyhood dream of Paul Smeulders materializes, he will become a member of parliament: 'Putting Brabant on the map' .
  4. News: Voorkeursstemmen geteld, Paul Smeulders nu echt weg uit Tweede Kamer . 23 March 2021 . 7 May 2024 . nl . . Van der Venne . Freek . Preference votes counted, Paul Smeulders will definitively depart from the House of Representatives .
  5. Tweede Kamerleden nemen afscheid . . nl . 7 May 2024 . 29 March 2021 . House of Representatives members say farewell .
  6. News: Het is rond: Arnhem heeft een uiterst linkse coalitie met zes partijen . Veth . Huibert . 1 June 2022 . 7 May 2024 . nl . . It is finished: Arnhem has a far-left coalition with six parties .
  7. News: Minder asielzoekers? Arnhem wil er juist veel meer. 'Vreselijk zoals ze in Den Haag spreken over vluchtelingen' . subscription . 7 May 2024 . Smeulders . Paul . Johan van Heerde . 7 May 2024 . nl . . Fewer asylum seekers? Arnhem wants more. 'It is terrible how refugees are being talked about in The Hague' .