Ank Bijleveld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ank Bijleveld
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Bijleveld in 2018
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| Mayor of Almere | |
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Acting
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| In office 10 January 2022 – 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Franc Weerwind |
| Succeeded by | Hein van der Loo |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 26 October 2017 – 17 September 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
| Preceded by | Klaas Dijkhoff |
| Succeeded by | Ferdinand Grapperhaus (acting) |
| King's Commissioner of Overijssel | |
| In office 1 January 2011 – 26 October 2017 |
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| Monarch | Beatrix Willem-Alexander |
| Preceded by | Geert Jansen |
| Succeeded by | Andries Heidema |
| State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations | |
| In office 22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Jan Peter Balkenende |
| Preceded by | Rob Hessing |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Knops (2017) |
| Mayor of Hof van Twente | |
| In office 1 January 2001 – 22 February 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Hans Kok |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 17 June 2010 – 1 January 2011 |
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| In office 16 November 1989 – 16 January 2001 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anna Theodora Bernardina Schouten
17 March 1962 IJsselmuiden, Netherlands |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| Spouse |
Riekele Bijleveld
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Twente (BPA, MPA) |
Anna Theodora Bernardina "Ank" Bijleveld-Schouten (born on March 17, 1962) is a Dutch politician. She is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) political party. She held a very important job as the Minister of Defence for the Netherlands. She served in this role from October 26, 2017, to September 17, 2021. This was during the government led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Before becoming Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld had many other important roles. She worked as a civil servant. She was a member of the House of Representatives, which is like the Dutch parliament. She also served as a Mayor of Hof van Twente. Later, she became a State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations. She also served as the King's Commissioner for the province of Overijssel.
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Early Life and Education
Ank Bijleveld was born in the Dutch province of Overijssel. This is a region in the eastern part of the Netherlands. She went to university to study public administration. This field is about how governments are organized and how they manage public services. She studied at the University of Twente from 1980 to 1986.
Political Career
Ank Bijleveld started her political journey in 1986. She became a member of the local council in Enschede. This was her first step in working for the Christian Democratic Appeal party.
Roles in Government
Bijleveld served as a Member of the House of Representatives for many years. She was an MP from November 16, 1989, until January 16, 2001. After that, she became the Mayor of Hof van Twente. She held this position from January 1, 2001, to February 22, 2007.
She then became the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations. This job involved helping to manage the country's internal affairs. She served in this role from February 22, 2007, until October 14, 2010.
In June 2010, she returned to the House of Representatives. She was an MP again until January 1, 2011. At that time, she was appointed as the King's Commissioner of Overijssel. This role is like a governor for a province.
Minister of Defence
In 2017, Ank Bijleveld was asked to become the Minister of Defence. She accepted this important role. She left her job as King's Commissioner to take on this new responsibility. She officially became Minister of Defence on October 26, 2017.
As Minister of Defence, she was in charge of the Dutch armed forces. One of her early tasks was overseeing efforts to stop a cyberattack. This attack was aimed at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2018.
Bijleveld resigned from her position as Minister of Defence on September 17, 2021. This happened after a discussion in the House of Representatives. The discussion was about how the government handled the evacuation of people from Afghanistan.
Personal Life
Ank Bijleveld has been married to Riekele Bijleveld since 1984. They have two daughters together. Her husband has also been involved in local politics. He has been a member of the municipal council of Hof van Twente since 2018. Ank Bijleveld is a Roman Catholic.
