Michiel van Hulten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michiel Frans van Hulten
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| Born | February 18, 1969 |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics and Political Science, College of Europe |
| Occupation | Director of Transparency International EU, Former Politician |
| Known for | Member of the European Parliament, Former Chairman of the Labour Party |
Michiel Frans van Hulten (born February 18, 1969) is an expert who works as an analyst, writer, teacher, and consultant. He used to be the director of Transparency International EU, an organization that fights against corruption. He was also a politician in the Netherlands. From 1999 to 2004, he was a Member of the European Parliament. Later, from 2005 to 2007, he was the chairman of the Labour Party in the Netherlands.
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Michiel van Hulten's Early Life
Michiel van Hulten grew up in a family involved in politics. His father was a Member of Parliament and a senator, and his mother was a local alderwoman. Michiel spent a lot of his childhood living in different countries. Besides the Netherlands, he lived in places like Mali, Burkina Faso, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Education and Studies
He went to Atlantic College in Wales, where he earned the International Baccalaureate. This is a special diploma recognized around the world. He then studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the College of Europe in Belgium. During his time at university, he became a member of the Dutch Labour Party and the Young Socialists, showing his early interest in politics.
Michiel van Hulten's Political Journey
Michiel van Hulten started his career in 1993. He worked for a Dutch trade union and then as a political advisor to the Minister of Education and Science. He also worked for the EU Council of Ministers, dealing with important topics like the European market and adding new countries to the EU.
Working in Election Campaigns
In 1997, he helped with the election campaign for Tony Blair in the UK. The next year, in 1998, he worked for the Labour Party in the Netherlands. He was a speechwriter for the party leader, Wim Kok, helping him prepare for important speeches.
Becoming a Member of the European Parliament
In 1999, Michiel van Hulten was elected as a Labour Party member to the European Parliament. This is a big step, as it means representing people from many different countries in Europe. He joined the Committee on Budgetary Control. This committee's job is to make sure that money spent by the EU is used correctly and to prevent fraud.
He also helped start the Campaign for Parliament Reform. This group of MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) wanted to stop the Parliament from moving every month between Brussels and Strasbourg. They also wanted more clear rules about how parliamentary expenses were paid. In 2002, a newspaper called European Voice named him one of the "Europeans of the Year" for his work.
Leading the Labour Party
Michiel van Hulten decided not to run for re-election in 2004. He then joined Policy Network, a group that thinks about new ideas for politics. In 2005, he ran for chairman of the Labour Party in the Netherlands and won with more than 60% of the votes.
As chairman, he led the Labour Party's campaigns for local elections in 2006, which were successful. However, in the parliamentary elections later that year, the Labour Party lost some seats. After some disagreements with other board members, Michiel van Hulten resigned as chairman on April 25, 2007.
Michiel van Hulten's Work After Politics
After leaving electoral politics, Michiel van Hulten continued to work on important issues. From 2007 to 2012, he was a founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. This group helps shape ideas about Europe's role in the world.
Focus on Transparency and Democracy
Since 2007, he has worked in Brussels, focusing on how the European Union can be more democratic, open, and accountable. In 2011, he started his own consulting firm called Place Lux, which mainly helps non-profit organizations. He also taught about the European Parliament to journalism students.
From 2011 to 2014, he was the managing director of VoteWatch Europe. This organization helps people see how members of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers vote on different issues.
Fighting Corruption and Promoting Democracy
From 2014 to 2017, he was a visiting senior fellow at the London School of Economics. In 2017, he helped start a communications agency called BOLDT. He left BOLDT in 2019 to become the Director of Transparency International EU. This organization is a big part of a worldwide movement that works to stop corruption.
From 2019 to 2023, he was also on the supervisory board of Defend Democracy. This group works to protect and strengthen democracy against different threats. In 2023, he took a break to study investigative journalism. He left Transparency International EU in July 2024. Today, he works as an analyst, writer, teacher, and consultant. In June 2024, he joined the Board of Lie Detectors, an organization that teaches about media literacy.
Michiel van Hulten has been recognized for his influence online. In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, he was named one of the top 40 EU influencers on Twitter.
