Kajsa Ollongren facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonkvrouw Kajsa Ollongren
Ollongren in 2022
Minister of Defence
In office 10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Henk Kamp
Succeeded by	Ruben Brekelmans
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 14 May 2020 – 10 January 2022 Serving with Hugo de Jonge, Carola Schouten
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Wouter Koolmees
Succeeded by	Wopke Hoekstra
In office 26 October 2017 – 1 November 2019 Serving with Hugo de Jonge, Carola Schouten
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Lodewijk Asscher
Succeeded by	Wouter Koolmees
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
In office 14 April 2020 – 10 January 2022
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Raymond Knops (acting)
Succeeded by	Hanke Bruins Slot
In office 26 October 2017 – 1 November 2019
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Preceded by	Ronald Plasterk
Succeeded by	Raymond Knops (acting)
Mayor of Amsterdam
Acting
In office 5 October 2017 – 26 October 2017
Preceded by	Eberhard van der Laan
Succeeded by	Eric van der Burg (acting)
Personal details
Born	Karin Hildur Ollongren (1967-05-28) 28 May 1967 (age 58) Leiden, Netherlands
Citizenship	Netherlands Sweden
Political party	Democrats 66
Spouse	Irene van den Brekel ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	2
Relatives	Alexander Ollongren (father)
Education	University of Amsterdam (BA, MA) École nationale d'administration (BPA, MPA)

Jkvr. Karin Hildur "Kajsa" Ollongren (born 28 May 1967) is a Dutch-Swedish politician. She was the Minister of Defence for the Netherlands from January 2022 to July 2024.

Kajsa Ollongren is a member of the Democrats 66 (D66) political party. Before becoming Minister of Defence, she held other important roles. She was the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and a Deputy Prime Minister from 2017 to 2022. For a short time in October 2017, she was also the acting Mayor of Amsterdam. Since June 2025, she has been working as the EU Special Representative for human rights.

Early Life and Education

Kajsa Ollongren was born in Leiden, Netherlands, on May 28, 1967. Her father, Alexander Ollongren, was an astronomer and computer scientist from the Dutch East Indies. Her mother, Gunvor Lundgren, was Swedish.

Because her mother is Swedish, Kajsa Ollongren also has Swedish citizenship. Her family has a noble background from Finland and Sweden. In 2002, her Dutch family branch was recognized in the Dutch nobility. This gave her the title "jonkvrouw".

Kajsa grew up in Oegstgeest. She went to Rijnlands Lyceum for high school from 1979 to 1985. After that, she studied at the University of Amsterdam. She first studied economics and then switched to history, earning a master's degree in 1991. She also studied public administration in Paris at the École nationale d'administration. She also studied foreign relations at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.

Career in Government Service

Kajsa Ollongren started her career working for the government in 1992. She worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. There, she helped shape policies for countries in Central and Eastern Europe. She also trained young political parties in these new democracies.

She became the head of parliamentary affairs at the ministry until 2001. From 2001 to 2004, she was the director for European Integration and Strategy. In 2004, she became the Deputy Director General of the ministry.

In 2007, Ollongren moved to the Ministry of General Affairs. This department is led by the Prime Minister. She became the Deputy Secretary General there. In 2011, she was promoted to Secretary General of the ministry.

Political Career

Local Politics in Amsterdam

In 2014, the Democrats 66 party became the largest party in Amsterdam after the local elections. Kajsa Ollongren then became an alderwoman and the first deputy mayor of Amsterdam. She started this role on June 18, 2014.

As an alderwoman, she was in charge of many important areas. These included economic affairs, the seaport, the airport, and culture. She also handled local media, monuments, and the city center.

In September 2017, the mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, became very ill. Kajsa Ollongren took over his duties from September 19. After his death on October 6, she became the acting Mayor of Amsterdam for a short time.

Minister of the Interior (2017–2022)

On October 26, 2017, Kajsa Ollongren was appointed as the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. This was in Prime Minister Mark Rutte's third government. She also became one of the three Deputy Prime Ministers. She served alongside Hugo de Jonge and Carola Schouten. She was on medical leave from November 2019 to April 2020.

After the 2021 general election, Ollongren and Annemarie Jorritsma from another party led talks to form a new government. They both stepped down on March 25, 2021. This happened after a photo showed Ollongren carrying notes with private information. The talks had already stopped that day because Ollongren tested positive for COVID-19.

Minister of Defence (2022–2024)

When she became Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren quickly responded to a request from Ukraine. She agreed to send 200 FIM-92 Stinger air defence rockets. She also sent 50 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank systems with 400 rockets. This was in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

During her time in office, the Dutch government also set aside an extra 2 billion euros for military aid to Ukraine in 2024. In June 2024, Ollongren stated that the Netherlands would not object if Ukraine used Dutch-supplied F-16 fighter jets to strike targets inside Russia. Her term as Minister of Defence ended on July 2, 2024. Days before, she had introduced a bill. This bill would require Dutch defence companies to produce for the Royal Netherlands Army if there was a potential war.

EU Special Representative

On June 23, 2025, Kajsa Ollongren was appointed as the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for human rights. In this role, she helps the European Union with its human rights policies. This includes supporting the EU's views on following international humanitarian law. It also involves working with international groups that deal with justice.

Personal Life

Kajsa Ollongren is married to television producer Irene van den Brekel. They got married in 2004 and have two children together.