Jennifer Geerlings-Simons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons
|
|
|---|---|
Geerlings-Simons in 2015
|
|
| 11th President of Suriname | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2025 |
|
| Vice President | Gregory Rusland |
| Preceded by | Chan Santokhi |
| President of the National Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 13 July 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Dési Bouterse |
| Chairperson of the National Assembly of Suriname | |
| In office 30 June 2010 – 28 June 2020 |
|
| Preceded by | Paul Somohardjo |
| Succeeded by | Ronnie Brunswijk |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 23 May 1996 – 25 May 2020 |
|
| Constituency | Paramaribo District |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jennifer Simons
5 September 1953 Paramaribo, Suriname |
| Political party | National Democratic |
| Spouse |
Glenn Geerlings
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Anton de Kom University of Suriname (Drs.) |
| Profession | Physician |
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons (born 5 September 1953) is a Surinamese doctor and politician. She is the 10th president of Suriname, taking office on 16 July 2025. Before becoming president, she was the Chairperson of the National Assembly (Suriname's parliament) from 2010 to 2020. She was the second woman to hold this important position. In 2024, she also became the leader of the National Democratic Party. After her party won the general election in 2025, she was elected President on 6 July 2025. This made her the first female president in the history of Suriname.
Contents
Early Political Steps
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons began her political journey in 1996. She was first elected as a member of the National Assembly. She represented the area of Paramaribo, which is the capital city.
Serving in the National Assembly
She was a vice-chairperson of the National Democratic Party. This party was started by Dési Bouterse. From 2000 to 2006, she was the leader of her party's group in the parliament. This meant she helped guide her party's actions and discussions in the National Assembly.
Leading During Challenges
In April 2020, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons took on a new leadership role. She was chosen to lead the Parliamentary COVID-19 Crisis Management Team. This team worked to help Suriname deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname.
In June 2020, she announced that she would be leaving politics. Even though she was elected again in the 2020 Surinamese general election, she decided not to take her seat. Another person from her party, Stephen Tsang, then took her place in the National Assembly.
Becoming President of Suriname
On 13 July 2024, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons became the new leader of the National Democratic Party. She took over from Dési Bouterse. This was a big step in her political career.
Leading a Political Party
The next year, she led her party, the NDP, in the 2025 Surinamese general election. Her party won the most votes in the election. This put her in a strong position to become president.
The Path to Presidency
After the election, the NDP worked with five other political parties. They formed a group called a coalition. This group agreed to support Jennifer Geerlings-Simons for president. Together, these parties had 34 seats in the National Assembly. This was exactly the two-thirds majority needed to elect a president.
On 3 July 2025, the Progressive Reform Party, which was the main party in the previous government, announced they would not put forward their own candidate. No other candidates came forward by the deadline. This meant Jennifer Geerlings-Simons was the only person running. She was elected president without anyone opposing her on 6 July 2025. Gregory Rusland, the leader of the NPS party, became her vice president. She officially started her term as president on 16 July 2025.
Personal Life and Education
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons married Glenn Geerlings in 1981. They have three children together.
Before her political career, she trained to be a doctor. She studied medicine at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. She earned her medical degree from this university.
See also
In Spanish: Jennifer Simons para niños
