Judith Sargentini
Encyclopedia
Judith Sargentini is a Dutch GreenLeft
politician. She is currently a Member of the European Parliament
where she leads the GreenLeft
delegation. Previously she was chair of the GreenLeft in the Amsterdam city council.
against the placement of nuclear weapons in the Netherlands. Between 1986 and 1992 she attended high school at the Spinozalyceum in Amsterdam. After graduating she studied history at the University of Amsterdam. Since 1990 Sargentini was politically active, first in the PSJG, the political youth organization of the left-socialist Pacifist Socialist Party
and later in DWARS
, the political youth organization of the GreenLeft
, a new political party in which the PSP had merged. During her study she was also active in the international student movement. She was secretary of the Dutch National Students' Union (between 1995–1996) and board member of the European Students' Union (in 1998).
In 2002 Sargentini was elected into the Amsterdam municipal council. Between 1999 and 2002 she sat as a co-opted assistant
on the municipal council. Between 2006 and 2009 Sargentini served as chair of the GreenLeft party in the Amsterdam municipality. She was spokesperson on work & income, youth policy and public order.
In addition to her membership of the council Sargentini worked for various NGOs in the sphere development cooperation. Between 2000 and 2001 she was international coordinator of the European Network for Information an Action in Southern Africa. Following upon that she worked as international-campaign coordinator for Fatal Transactions, a foundation that highlighted issues surrounding the international trade in conflict diamonds and the financing of (civil) wars in Africa. Between 2003 and 2007 she worked as lobbyist at the Dutch Institute for South Africa. Since 2007 she worked as consultant for the European alliance of development-cooperation organisations Eurostep
.
In 2009 she was one of the five candidates for the position of party-foreperson
on the list of the GreenLeft
for the 2009 European-Parliament elections
. The other candidates were: Senator Tineke Strik
, former Member of the European Parliament
Alexander de Roo, environmental specialist Bas Eickhout
and Niels van den Berge
, assistant to Kathalijne Buitenweg
MEP. While a candidate for the position of GreenLeft
party-foreperson in the EuroParl elections-campaign, Sargentini emphasized issues such as development-cooperation, migration
, climate change
and emancipation
. On February 8, 2009, it was announced that she was elected as lead candidate and party-foreperson for GreenLeft
in the Netherlands European-Parliament elections. After five rounds of vote counting she was elected with 52.4% of the tally. She will remain member of the Amsterdam city council until June 4.
Under her leadership the GreenLeft won an additional seat in the European Parliament election
. Sargentini became a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
of the European parliament and substitute for the Committee on Development
. She chairs a transnational delegation of GreenLeft and the Flemish Green!
.
Sargentini is a vegetarian
.
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
politician. She is currently a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
where she leads the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
delegation. Previously she was chair of the GreenLeft in the Amsterdam city council.
Biography
Sargentini comes from a "politically very aware" family. In 1981, when she was seven, she took part in demonstrationsHollanditis
Hollanditis was a term coined in 1981 by the American historian Walter Laqueur. It was used to describe the wave of pacifist neutralism that swept through the Netherlands in the first half of the 1980s and which influenced similar grass roots movements in other European countries...
against the placement of nuclear weapons in the Netherlands. Between 1986 and 1992 she attended high school at the Spinozalyceum in Amsterdam. After graduating she studied history at the University of Amsterdam. Since 1990 Sargentini was politically active, first in the PSJG, the political youth organization of the left-socialist Pacifist Socialist Party
Pacifist Socialist Party
The Pacifist Socialist Party was a Dutch left-socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft.-Before 1957:...
and later in DWARS
DWARS
DWARS, de GroenLinkse jongerenorganisatie is the independent youth wing of GreenLeft, the Dutch Green political party.-Ideals and policies:...
, the political youth organization of the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
, a new political party in which the PSP had merged. During her study she was also active in the international student movement. She was secretary of the Dutch National Students' Union (between 1995–1996) and board member of the European Students' Union (in 1998).
In 2002 Sargentini was elected into the Amsterdam municipal council. Between 1999 and 2002 she sat as a co-opted assistant
Co-option
A co-opting or less frequently co-optation most commonly refers to action performed in a number of fields whereby an opponent is nullified or neutralized by absorption but there are other distinct senses as well....
on the municipal council. Between 2006 and 2009 Sargentini served as chair of the GreenLeft party in the Amsterdam municipality. She was spokesperson on work & income, youth policy and public order.
In addition to her membership of the council Sargentini worked for various NGOs in the sphere development cooperation. Between 2000 and 2001 she was international coordinator of the European Network for Information an Action in Southern Africa. Following upon that she worked as international-campaign coordinator for Fatal Transactions, a foundation that highlighted issues surrounding the international trade in conflict diamonds and the financing of (civil) wars in Africa. Between 2003 and 2007 she worked as lobbyist at the Dutch Institute for South Africa. Since 2007 she worked as consultant for the European alliance of development-cooperation organisations Eurostep
Eurostep
Eurostep is a network of autonomous European non-governmental development organisations working towards peace, justice and equality in a world free of poverty...
.
In 2009 she was one of the five candidates for the position of party-foreperson
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
on the list of the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
for the 2009 European-Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
. The other candidates were: Senator Tineke Strik
Tineke Strik
Martina Hermina Antonia Strik is a Dutch politician. she is a member of the Senate for GreenLeft.-Biography:...
, former Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Alexander de Roo, environmental specialist Bas Eickhout
Bas Eickhout
Bas Eickhout is a Dutch politician for the GreenLeft. He has been elected to the European Parliament in the 2009 election.- Life before politics :...
and Niels van den Berge
Niels van den Berge
Cornelis Niels van den Berge is a Dutch former politician. As a member of GreenLeft he was a temporary MP from January 12 till March 11, 2011, replacing Mariko Peters, who was on maternity leave...
, assistant to Kathalijne Buitenweg
Kathalijne Buitenweg
Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg is a Dutch politician. Between 1999 and 2009, she was a Member of the European Parliament for the Green Left, which is part of the European Greens, and sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.-Before politics:From 1985 to...
MEP. While a candidate for the position of GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
party-foreperson in the EuroParl elections-campaign, Sargentini emphasized issues such as development-cooperation, migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
, climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
. On February 8, 2009, it was announced that she was elected as lead candidate and party-foreperson for GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
in the Netherlands European-Parliament elections. After five rounds of vote counting she was elected with 52.4% of the tally. She will remain member of the Amsterdam city council until June 4.
Under her leadership the GreenLeft won an additional seat in the European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in the Netherlands was the election of the delegation from the Netherlands to the European Parliament in 2009 and took place on June 4, 2009. Seventeen parties competed in a D'Hondt type election for 25 seats...
. Sargentini became a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is a standing committee of the European Parliament.-External links:*...
of the European parliament and substitute for the Committee on Development
Committee on Development
The Committee on Development is a standing committee of the European Parliament responsible for promoting, implementing and monitoring the development and cooperation policy of the European Union, notably talks with developing countries; aid to developing countries; and promotion of democratic...
. She chairs a transnational delegation of GreenLeft and the Flemish Green!
Green!
Groen! is a Belgian green political party. Green! is the smallest Flemish party with a representation in the federal, regional or European parliament.-Before 1979:...
.
Sargentini is a vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
.
External links
- Europaparliament: Judith Sargentini
- Judith Sargentini on parlement.com