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Halbe Zijlstra
Halbe Zijlstra 2017 (1).jpg
Zijlstra in 2017
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
26 October 2017 – 13 February 2018
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Preceded by Bert Koenders
Succeeded by Sigrid Kaag (ad interim)
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives
In office
13 October 2017 – 25 October 2017
Preceded by Mark Rutte
Succeeded by Klaas Dijkhoff
In office
1 November 2012 – 23 March 2017
Preceded by Mark Rutte
Succeeded by Mark Rutte
State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science
In office
14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Preceded by Marja van Bijsterveldt
Succeeded by Sander Dekker
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
20 September 2012 – 26 October 2017
In office
30 November 2006 – 14 October 2010
Personal details
Born
Halbe Zijlstra

(1969-01-21) 21 January 1969 (age 56)
Oosterwolde, Netherlands
Political party People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (since 1994)
Spouse
Ingrid de Bondt
(m. 1999)
Children 1 son
Residences Wassenaar, Netherlands
Alma mater University of Groningen
(Bachelor of Social Science, Master of Social Science, Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration)
Occupation Politician · Management consultant

Halbe Zijlstra (born January 21, 1969) is a former Dutch politician. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a short time in 2017 and 2018. He is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a political party in the Netherlands.

Before becoming a minister, Zijlstra worked as a management consultant. He was also a member of the House of Representatives, which is like the Dutch parliament. He served in parliament from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2017. He also held a position as State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science from 2010 to 2012.

Early Life and Education

Halbe Zijlstra was born on January 21, 1969, in Oosterwolde, a town in the Netherlands. His father worked as a police detective.

Zijlstra went to secondary school and then studied sociology at the University of Groningen. After finishing his studies, he worked for different companies as a consultant.

Political Journey

Halbe Zijlstra joined the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in 1994. His political career started in local government.

Local Politics

From 1998 to 2001, and again from 2003 to 2006, Zijlstra was a member of the municipal council in Utrecht. This means he helped make decisions for the city of Utrecht.

Member of Parliament

In 2006, Zijlstra was elected to the House of Representatives. This is where laws are made for the whole country. As a Member of Parliament (MP), he spoke for his party on topics like healthcare, energy, sports, and higher education. He also worked with other politicians to create laws, for example, to deal with football hooligans.

State Secretary for Education and Culture

In 2010, Halbe Zijlstra became the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science. In this role, he was in charge of many important areas. These included higher education, scientific research, and cultural heritage.

During his time as State Secretary, he made changes to how students received scholarships. He also made some budget cuts in the culture sector. These changes aimed to make sure government money was used effectively.

Leading His Party in Parliament

After the 2012 elections, Zijlstra returned to the House of Representatives. He became the leader of his party's group in parliament. This meant he was an important voice for the VVD party in the House. He held this position until 2017.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

On October 26, 2017, Zijlstra became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is a very important job where he represented the Netherlands in dealings with other countries. He was part of the government led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

As Minister, he spoke about international events. For example, when there was a military operation in Syria, he said that Turkey had a right to defend itself but also asked them to be careful.

In February 2018, Zijlstra resigned from his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs. This happened after he admitted to making an incorrect statement about a past meeting. He explained his decision to the House of Representatives.

Political Views

Halbe Zijlstra has shared his views on different international topics.

In 2015, he wrote an article where he expressed concerns about a major international agreement concerning Iran. He believed it was a "historical error."

After the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union in 2016, Zijlstra commented on it. He noted that the UK was an important partner for countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, who also prefer free markets and less central control in Europe. He felt that without the UK, there might be less support for these ideas.

Personal Life

Halbe Zijlstra lives in Wassenaar, a town located just north of The Hague. He has one son. An interesting fact about his personal life is that he has been an active member of a carrier pigeon club.

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