Sophie Hermans

Sophie Hermans
Hermans in 2024
Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2024
Prime MinisterDick Schoof
Preceded byKarien van Gennip
Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 July 2024
Prime MinisterDick Schoof
Preceded byRob Jetten (as Minister for Climate and Energy Policy)
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives
In office
11 January 2022 – 6 December 2023
Preceded byMark Rutte
Succeeded byDilan Yeşilgöz
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
23 March 2017 – 2 July 2024
Succeeded byJacqueline van den Hil
Personal details
Born
Sophia Theodora Monique Hermans

1 May 1981 (1981-05) (age 43)
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Political partyPeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Parent
Alma materUniversity of Amsterdam

Sophia Theodora Monique "Sophie" Hermans (born 1 May 1981) is a Dutch politician currently serving as Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister of Climate and Green Growth in the Schoof cabinet.[1] Hermans previously served as a member of the House of Representatives representing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy between 2017 and 2024.[2]

Early life and education

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Hermans is the daughter of former politician Loek Hermans.[3][4]

She completed her vwo, studied political science in Amsterdam and completed postdoctoral courses at San Francisco State University and London Business School.[3][4]

Career

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Hermans's first job was as a consultant in Utrecht.[3] She served as political assistant to Minister Stef Blok and Prime Minister Mark Rutte.[3][4][5]

Hermans entered on the House of Representatives on 23 March 2017, and she was her party's spokesperson for healthcare.[6] She served as deputy parliamentary leader of the VVD.[3] She acted as negotiator during the 2021-2022 cabinet formation.[3] She became parliamentary leader on 11 January 2022,[2] when Rutte resigned from the House to become Prime Minister in his new cabinet.[a]

In June 2022, Hermans held a personal speech at the party congress. She denied owing her position to her father or her work as Rutte's assistant. During a subsequent debate, Geert Wilders (PVV) asked her how long she intended to remain Rutte's "bag bearer" (Dutch: tassendrager). Hermans was moved by this remark. Speaker Vera Bergkamp asked Wilders to stay with the subject-matter. Hermans's response was met with the approval of the chamber, and several other parliamentary leaders condemned Wilders' comment.[4][7]

In July 2023, in the aftermath of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's resignation from national politics and as leader of the VVD, Hermans declined to run to become the next Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.[8] Following the November 2023 general election, she served as spokesperson for AIVD, medical ethics, and long-term care and as acting parliamentary leader of the VVD, while party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz was still demissionary Minister of Justice and Security.[9] Alongside Eelco Heinen, Hermans assisted Yeşilgöz in talks to form a new governing coalition in 2023–24.[10]

After the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB formed the Schoof cabinet, Hermans was sworn in as Second Deputy Prime Minister and as Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth on 2 July 2024.[6][11] The Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth was established simultaneously, and its responsibilities had previously been part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy with Rob Jetten as minister without portfolio. When past climate change denial by members of the fellow coalition party PVV was raised during her confirmation hearing, Hermans declared that she was committed to climate change mitigation and that she wanted to promote an optimistic message of green growth.[12] The governing agreement, presented in September 2024, included a continuation of existing plans to increase wind power and the construction of two nuclear power plants at a cost of €9.5 billion.[13] The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) concluded the following month that the likelihood of the Netherlands meeting its 2030 target – reducing CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels – had fallen from 15% to less than 5%, partly due to the cabinet's reversal of its predecessor's measures. Hermans responded that she was working on additional initiatives.[14]

Political positions

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She opposed government efforts to ban laughing gas for recreational use, comparing it to "shooting a mosquito with a cannon".[15] In 2024, Hermans re-introduced a proposal of her party to ban unvaccinated children from attending day care in response to declining vaccination rates and recent cases of the measles and whooping cough.[16]

Personal life

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Hermans is single.[3]

Her sister Caroliene was the political assistant of Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte for various years.[3]

She played hockey.[3]

Electoral history

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Electoral history of Sophie Hermans
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2017 House of Representatives People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 16 4,417 33 Won [17]
2021 House of Representatives People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 3 24,115 34 Won [18]
2023 House of Representatives People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 2 62,320 24 Won [19]

Notes

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  1. ^ In the Netherlands, ministers and state secretaries are not members of parliament, with the possible exception of the period between an election and the accession of the new cabinet.

References

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  1. ^ Borgerink, Rutger (2 July 2024). "Eddy van Hijum beëdigd als minister: "Samenwerken met PVV had ik ook niet verwacht"". www.rtvoost.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Jan Paternotte is nieuwe fractievoorzitter van D66, Sophie Hermans aan het roer bij de VVD". Trouw (in Dutch). 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i De Goede, Agnes; Hankel, Arne (18 June 2022). "'Tassendrager' of toekomstig VVD-leider: kan Sophie Hermans Mark Rutte opvolgen?". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Petra de Koning; Jannetje Koelewijn (22 December 2022). "Sophie Hermans wil graag iets zeggen over kwetsbaarheid" (in Dutch). NRC.
  5. ^ "Prime minister calls out to 'Caroliene' during debate lapse". DutchNews.nl. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Politiek dier Sophie Hermans nu zelf minister" [Political animal Sophie Hermans now minister herself]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  7. ^ "VVD-fractievoorzitter Hermans geraakt door 'tassendrager' van Wilders" (in Dutch). NOS. 15 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Justice Min. Yesilgöz wants to succeed Rutte as VVD leader | NL Times". nltimes.nl. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Portefeuilleverdeling" [Portfolio allocation]. People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  10. ^ Vrijsen, Eric (30 January 2024). "Gedogen blijkt blunder: kan Yeşilgöz de zaak nog redden?" [Supporting seems to be a mistake: Will Yeşilgöz be able to save the situation?]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Ministers en staatssecretarissen kabinet-Schoof beëdigd" [Ministers and state secretaries of Schoof cabinet sworn in]. NOS (in Dutch). 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  12. ^ Von Piekartz, Hessel (24 June 2024). "Beoogd minister van Klimaat Sophie Hermans (VVD) wil PVV-ministers houden aan klimaatdoelen" [Minister of Climate-designate Sophie Hermans (VVD) wants to make PVV ministers stick to climate goals]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Kabinet ambitieus over asiel en bouwen, maar stuit bij mest op grenzen" [Cabinet ambitious on asylum and construction, but is constrained on manure]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  14. ^ Van Bergeijk, Emma; Kraan, Jeroen (24 October 2024). "Klimaatdoelen raken uit zicht: 'Zo snel mogelijk nieuw beleid nodig'" [Reaching climate goals becomes less likely: 'New policy is required as soon as possible']. NU.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Dutch government wants to ban laughing gas". IamExpat in the Netherlands. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  16. ^ "VVD stoft oud plan af: ongevaccineerde kinderen uit opvang weren" [VVD brings back old plan: Keep unvaccinated children out of day care]. NOS (in Dutch). 19 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2017 (getekend exemplaar)" [Results House of Representatives 2017 (signed example)] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 21 March 2017. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  18. ^ "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. 14–15. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 21 December 2023.

Further reading

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Political offices
Preceded byas Minister for Climate and Energy Policy Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth
2024–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister
2024–present
Served alongside: Fleur Agema, Eddy van Hijum, and Mona Keijzer
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