Martijn van Dam
Encyclopedia
Martinus Hendricus Petrus (Martijn) van Dam (born February 1, 1978) is a Dutch
engineer
and politician
for the Labour Party
(Partij van de Arbeid). He is a member of the House of Representatives and a former councillor
for the municipality of Eindhoven. From the time he entered parliament on January 30, 2003 to November 30, 2006 he was the youngest member of parliament.
and grew up in Huissen
. He moved to Eindhoven with his family in 1990, where he attended the Eindhoven University of Technology
(studying Technology Management
). He was active in different student associations and also joined the Young Socialists (Jonge Socialisten) (becoming the president of the Eindhoven chapter). In 1998 he ran for the city council
of Eindhoven and became a councillor, later speaker for the Labour Party caucus in the city council and member of the national party committee of the Labour Party. After graduating from university he worked at Philips
until 2003.
In 2003 he was elected member of the House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member. He moved to Utrecht
in 2005.
In his first period in the House Labour Party caucus, Van Dam was spokesman for media, technology and innovation. He quickly established himself in 2003 by frequently asking questions about the Discharge Fraud in the IT sector, whereby probation period discharges were being abused as a cost-cutting measure. Following the 2006 elections he became spokesman for foreign affairs, which made him the face of the Labour Party in the debate on the extension of the military mission in Uruzgan. In March 2007 he joined the caucus leadership.
Van Dam was elected Political Talent of the Year 2005 by the parliamentary press corps.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
for the Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(Partij van de Arbeid). He is a member of the House of Representatives and a former councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
for the municipality of Eindhoven. From the time he entered parliament on January 30, 2003 to November 30, 2006 he was the youngest member of parliament.
Biography
Van Dam was born in ZoetermeerZoetermeer
Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...
and grew up in Huissen
Huissen
Huissen is a town in Gelderland, Netherlands and has about 17,000 inhabitants. It is located at the Nederrijn, in the area between Arnhem and Nijmegen...
. He moved to Eindhoven with his family in 1990, where he attended the Eindhoven University of Technology
Eindhoven University of Technology
The ' is a university of technology located in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The motto of the university is: Mens agitat molem . The university was the second of its kind in the Netherlands, only Delft University of Technology existed previously. Until mid-1980 it was known as the...
(studying Technology Management
Technology Management
Technology Management is set of management disciplines that allows organizations to manage its technological fundamentals to create competitive advantage...
). He was active in different student associations and also joined the Young Socialists (Jonge Socialisten) (becoming the president of the Eindhoven chapter). In 1998 he ran for the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of Eindhoven and became a councillor, later speaker for the Labour Party caucus in the city council and member of the national party committee of the Labour Party. After graduating from university he worked at Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
until 2003.
In 2003 he was elected member of the House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member. He moved to Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in 2005.
In his first period in the House Labour Party caucus, Van Dam was spokesman for media, technology and innovation. He quickly established himself in 2003 by frequently asking questions about the Discharge Fraud in the IT sector, whereby probation period discharges were being abused as a cost-cutting measure. Following the 2006 elections he became spokesman for foreign affairs, which made him the face of the Labour Party in the debate on the extension of the military mission in Uruzgan. In March 2007 he joined the caucus leadership.
Van Dam was elected Political Talent of the Year 2005 by the parliamentary press corps.