Ruben Brekelmans Explained

Ruben Brekelmans
Office:Minister of Defence
Term Start:2 July 2024
Primeminister:Dick Schoof
Predecessor:Kajsa Ollongren
Office1:Member of the House of Representatives
Term Start1:31 March 2021
Term End1:2 July 2024
Birth Name:Ruben Pieter Brekelmans
Birth Date:18 July 1986
Birth Place:Leidschendam, Netherlands
Party:VVD (2003–present)
Children:One
Residence:Oisterwijk

Ruben Pieter Brekelmans (born 18 July 1986) is a Dutch politician serving as the minister of defence in the Schoof cabinet since 2024. Brekelmans previously served as a member of the House of Representatives on behalf of the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). As a parliamentarian, he focused on foreign affairs and migration.

Early life and career

He was born in 1986 in Leidschendam, located close to The Hague, and he grew up in the North Brabant village Kaatsheuvel.[1] [2] Brekelmans became a member of Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy (JOVD), the VVD's independent youth organization, at age seventeen.[3] He studied economics at Tilburg University, global politics at the London School of Economics, and obtained a Master of Public Administration degree in 2015 at the Harvard Kennedy School.[4] [5]

After graduating from Harvard, Brekelmans took a job as strategy consultant at The Boston Consulting Group's Amsterdam office.[6] [5] He subsequently served as political assistant of State Secretary for Justice and Security Mark Harbers and kept working at the Ministry of Justice and Security as director of the program Adaptive Asylum System after Harbers's resignation in May 2019.[7] [8] [9] Brekelmans left the ministry in October 2020 to become program director Insight on Quality at the Ministry of Finance.[2] [8] [9] Next to his job, he was chair of the VVD's thematic network on international affairs between 2017 and 2021, and he was on the committee that wrote his party's election program for the 2019 European Parliament election.[10] [11]

House of Representatives

Brekelmans was the VVD's thirtieth candidate in the 2021 general election and was elected to the House of Representatives with 1,539 preference votes.[12] He was sworn in on 31 March and became his party's spokesperson for foreign policy, international cultural policy, and extensions of foreign missions. Migration was later added to his specialties.[13] During the Russian military build-up ahead of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Brekelmans advocated sending weapons to Ukraine, and he kept pleading for strong sanctions after the start of the invasion including closing the European Union's airspace for Russian airliners.[14] [15] Furthermore, Brekelmans was in support of quickly increasing spending on the Dutch military such that its budget would adhere to the NATO norm of 2% of GDP, and he wanted more security, defense, and migration cooperation in the European Union, although he opposed a European army.[16] [17]

In an opinion piece, he wrote that he wanted to deport asylum seekers whose application had been rejected to make room for "real refugees" from Ukraine.[18] He also raised the possibility of temporarily halting new asylum applications in light of capacity problems at asylum seekers' centers.[19] Shortly after the collapse of the fourth Rutte cabinet resulting from disagreements about immigration reform, Brekelmans argued in favor of cooperation with the Party for Freedom (PVV), including as a confidence partner for a minority government. The VVD and its leader Mark Rutte had dismissed the PVV for years due to a failed coalition in the early 2010s and its anti-immigration and anti-Islam stances. Brekelmans said that he kept his party's objections against the PVV but that their support might be necessary to solve immigration issues. He suggested the yearly influx of immigrants would have to be reduced by at least 50,000.[20] [21] The JOVD and former VVD politician Ed Nijpels criticized Brekelmans's comments, while VVD lead candidate Dilan Yeşilgöz weeks later also did not dismiss future cooperation with the PVV.[22] Following the 2023 general election, Brekelmans served as the his party's spokesperson for foreign affairs (excluding Europe) and migration.[23]

Committee memberships

In the House, Brekelmans was on the following committees:[1]

Minister of Defence

After the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB formed the Schoof cabinet, Brekelmans was sworn in as Minister of Defence on 2 July 2024, succeeding Kajsa Ollongren.[24] [25]

Personal life

Brekelmans lives in the North Brabant town Oisterwijk.[1] He has a girlfriend and a daughter, who was born on the day before his election to the House.[26]

Electoral history

Year! scope="col" rowspan=2
BodyPartyVotesResult.
Party seatsIndividual
2021House of RepresentativesPeople's Party for Freedom and Democracystyle=text-align:right 30style=text-align:right 1,539style=text-align:right 34[27]
2023House of RepresentativesPeople's Party for Freedom and Democracystyle=text-align:right 6style=text-align:right 13,902style=text-align:right 24[28]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ruben Brekelmans . . 31 March 2021 . 19 November 2023 .
  2. News: Keus genoeg voor rechtse kiezers op 17 maart in Midden-Brabant, armoe bij links . . 12 April 2021 . nl . Tacken . Tom . 24 February 2021 . Enough choice for the right-wing voter on 17 March in Central Brabant, not so much on the left wing .
  3. News: Kandidaat Tweede Kamer en Gestelse VVD in gesprek met bewoners Sint Michielsgestel . MP candidate and Gestel VVD in discussion with inhabitants of Sint-Michielsgestel . nl . 12 April 2021 . 3 March 2021 . Weekblad de Brug .
  4. News: . nl . Werkervaring als ingangseis voor masterstudies . Job experience as an entry requirement for master's studies . Brekelemans . Ruben . 2 March 2016 . 15 .
  5. News: Het Financieele Dagblad . nl . Er is meer nodig om wereldtoppers te trekken . More is needed to attract world-class talent . Brekelemans . Ruben . 22 August 2015 . 6 .
  6. Web site: Brekelmans, Ruben . 12 April 2021 . HUTAC .
  7. News: Beroepspoliticus is in opmars: veel nieuwe VVD'ers in Kamer werkten nooit in bedrijfsleven . nl . 12 April 2021 . . Professional politicians are getting common: many new VVD members in the House never worked in the private sector . Hoedeman . Jan . 31 March 2021 .
  8. De bal ligt nu bij de uitvoering . JenV Magazine . 11 . 3 . 6 October 2020 . nl . The ball is now in the court of the execution . Lamboo . Martin .
  9. Web site: R.P. (Ruben) Brekelmans MPA, MSc . Parlement.com . nl . 10 October 2022 .
  10. Web site: Nevenactiviteiten van Ruben Brekelmans . nl . 12 April 2021 . Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal . Other activities of Ruben Brekelmans .
  11. Web site: Focus en lef: Voor een sterk Nederland in een veilig Europa . . nl . 12 April 2021 . Focus and courage: For a strong Netherlands in a powerful Europe . 1 .
  12. Web site: Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 17 maart 2021 . PDF . Results general election 17 March 2021 . 185 . 12 April 2021 . 26 March 2021 . Kiesraad . nl .
  13. Web site: Ruben Brekelmans . VVD . nl . 13 March 2022 .
  14. News: Kabinet: 'Niet uit te sluiten' dat Nederlandse militairen 'enige training' moeten geven in Oekraïne . . nl . 13 March 2022 . 3 February 2022 . Keultjes . Hanneke . Cabinet: 'Can't rule out' that Dutch soldiers would have to provide 'some training' in Ukraine .
  15. News: Kamerleden willen EU-luchtruim op slot voor Russen . . nl . De Jong . Yteke . Muller . Mike . 26 February 2022 . House members want to close EU airspace for Russians .
  16. News: VVD wil nog deze kabinetsperiode naar NAVO-norm van 2 procent . . nl . . 28 February 2022 . 13 March 2022 . VVD wants to reach NATO norm of 2 percent during this cabinet period already .
  17. News: Europa gaat meer militair samenwerken: 'Samen optreden, vechten en materieel inkopen' . subscription . De Telegraaf . Winterman . Peter . 20 March 2022 . 22 May 2022 . nl . Europe will cooperate more militarily: 'Act, fight, and purchase material jointly' .
  18. Web site: Ingezonden opinie: Laten we ruimte maken voor échte vluchtelingen . 13 March 2022 . Submitted opinion piece: Let us make room for real refugees . Brekelmans . Ruben . 7 March 2022 . .
  19. News: VVD wil dat kabinet kijkt of een tijdelijke asielstop mogelijk is . . 30 June 2022 . nl . 30 July 2022 . subscription . VVD wants cabinet to look at possibility of temporary asylum halt .
  20. News: VVD zoekt toenadering tot PVV: samenwerken niet uitgesloten . . nl . 9 September 2023 . subscription . 21 July 2023 . VVD seeks rapprochement to PVV: Not excluded from cooperation . Rutten . Rik .
  21. News: Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) over asiel: 'Er moet iets stevigs gebeuren' . EW . subscription . 9 September 2023 . nl . Vrijsen . Eric . 21 July 2023 . Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) about refugees: 'Something drastic has to happen' .
  22. News: Nieuwe VVD-leider zet de deur voor PVV op een kier: 'Eerst is de kiezer aan zet' . AD . 9 September 2023 . nl . Klaassen . Niels . New VVD leader opens door a bit for the PVV: 'The voters can choose first' .
  23. Web site: Portefeuilleverdeling . 21 February 2024 . nl . . Portfolio allocation .
  24. News: Ruben Brekelmans pleitbezorger van kleinere asielinstroom . 13 June 2024 . 15 June 2024 . nl . . Ruben Brekelmans advocate of reduced influx of asylum seekers .
  25. News: Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd . 2 July 2024 . 2 July 2024 . nl . . Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in .
  26. News: Oisterwijker Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) heeft een zetel en een baby . Brabants Dagblad . 12 April 2021 . nl . Oisterwijk resident Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) has a seat and a baby . 18 March 2021 . Gotink . Bart .
  27. 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 . 14–15 .
  28. 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 . 15–16 .