Laurens Dassen
Dassen in 2021
Leader of Volt Netherlands
in the House of Representatives
Assumed office
31 March 2021
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
31 March 2021
Personal details
Born
Laurens Antonius Josephus Maria Dassen

(1985-10-19) 19 October 1985
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Political partyVolt Netherlands
Children1
ResidenceAmsterdam
Alma materRadboud University Nijmegen
OccupationBanker
Signature

    Laurens Antonius Josephus Maria Dassen (born 19 October 1985) is a Dutch politician and former banker. Dassen grew up in Knegsel, studied business administration at Radboud University Nijmegen and worked for ABN AMRO for six years. He has been a member of Volt Netherlands since its foundation in 2018 and was elected to the House of Representatives as his party's lijsttrekker in the 2021 general election.

    Early life and career

    Dassen was born in 1985 in Eindhoven and grew up in the nearby village Knegsel, North Brabant.[1][2] His father worked as a manager for Philips, and his mother was a primary school teacher.[3] Dassen has an older sister and a younger brother, and he attended the Veldhoven secondary school Sondervick College, earning his havo diploma in 2003.[3][4] In his youth, he played football at the Knegselse Boys, and he played the baritone horn in a youth orchestra.[2][3]

    After finishing secondary school, Dassen went to the Eindhoven Fontys University of Applied Sciences but quit after a year to study international economics at Maastricht University. In 2005, when he had not passed enough first-year courses, he switched to Radboud University in Nijmegen, where he graduated in 2011 with a degree in business administration.[5][6][7] While a student, Dassen was a member of the student association N.S.V. Carolus Magnus, interned at an IT company in India for half a year, and participated in the 2009 edition of Harvard Model United Nations as part of the United Netherlands delegation.[8][9][10]

    In 2012, following his graduation, Dassen took a job at ABN AMRO. He was initially involved in risk management and in the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing, and he was posted to Dubai for five months. Dassen later worked on web and app development at the bank.[5][6][11] He left his job in September 2018 but returned part-time for a few months in 2020.[8][12]

    Politics

    Dassen's transition to political life was caused by a variety of factors, including increased nationalism and populism, Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.[11] Unable to find an established political party that fit him, he joined Volt Europa, who were seeking to form a Dutch wing, in February 2018 and became a volunteer.[3][5] Dassen was one of the people who founded Volt Netherlands on 23 June 2018 and started serving as its treasurer.[2][13] He quit his job at ABN AMRO in September to focus on politics full-time and also became Volt's secretary.[13][12] Dassen succeeded Reinier van Lanschot as party chair on 15 December 2018, when Van Lanschot was chosen as the party's lijsttrekker for the 2019 European Parliament election.[3][13] Dassen himself was listed third on the Volt Netherlands party list. The party received 1.93% of the vote, not enough to meet the threshold for a seat in the European Parliament.[14]

    House of Representatives

    On 6 June 2020, Dassen was chosen as Volt's top candidate for the 2021 Dutch general election.[15] The Volt campaign focused on European, cross-border solutions for climate change, migration, security, and social inequality.[16][17] Dassen rejected attempts to place him on the left–right political spectrum, dismissing it as "old politics".[18] Volt won three seats in the election, resulting in Dassen being sworn in as member of the House of Representatives on 31 March.[19] He stated that his party, being a newcomer, was not open to joining a new governing coalition.[20] During 2022 budget debates, a motion by Volt and coalition party D66 was carried by the House to appropriate €100 million to provide lunches in school.[21]

    Dassen made various proposals in his first term to lower corruption and raise trust in the Dutch political system. In September 2021, Dassen and fellow members of parliament successfully called through a motion, which was adopted by the House, for a two-year period during which cabinet members could not fill a lobbying position following the end of their term. It was in reaction to recommendations by GRECO and to Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen stepping down to work as an energy lobbyist.[22] Dassen launched a plan with independent politician Pieter Omtzigt in May 2022 to combat corruption among cabinet members and other high-ranking government officials. Their proposal included the expansion of the integrity rules, the introduction of a code of conduct and an authority that enforces it, and the creation of a lobby register that includes meetings.[23] A motion to introduce the register was carried, but Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Hanke Bruins Slot refused to execute it.[24] De Volkskrant reported that some of the other proposals of Omtzigt and Dassen were used by Minister Bruins Slot in her bill for a two-year lobbying ban for former cabinet members. The sanctions they had suggested in case of breaching the rules, however, were not included.[25] Furthermore, Dassen suggested together with Gert-Jan Segers (CU) that trust in the Dutch political system should be increase by strengthening the House's ability to gather information and by raising the number of seats in the House from 150 to 200.[26] Dassen presented a policy paper on political reform with Segers's successor – Mirjam Bikker – in August 2023. It contained three plans: to increase the size of the House from 150 to 250 seats, to involve the parliament earlier in bills initiated by the cabinet, and to organize more debates on long-term issues such as the effects of artificial intelligence (AI). Dassen argued the responsibilities of members of parliament had grown, partly due to social media.[27]

    During Dassen's tenure as caucus leader, the party suspended House member Nilüfer Gündoğan from its caucus following allegations of unacceptable behavior. When she was definitively expelled in February 2022 after an investigation, Gündoğan filed a criminal complaint for defamation against Dassen, Volt, and the accusers.[28] A judge determined that the expulsion had been unjust, and Dassen subsequently apologized to Gündoğan but later stated that the conflict could only be resolved after the withdrawal of her criminal complaint.[29][30] Her expulsion was finally reinstated in March following a vote by the caucus, in which Dassen supported the move calling their relationship "permanently broken".[31][32] The conflict caused Dassen's approval rating among Volt voters to drop from 96% to 74% according to a poll by EenVandaag and Ipsos.[33] An appellate court ruled in 2023 that the expulsion had been correct, reversing the lower court's decision.[34]

    When the collapse of the fourth Rutte cabinet triggered a snap election for November 2023, Dassen indicated his intention to become lead candidate once again. Volt's board nominated him for the post and the party's members affirmed the decision with 98% in support.[35][36] At the party conference, Dassen said radical choices are necessary to mitigate climate change and to reform the Dutch tax system. He advocated for replacing all government benefits by a limited basic income that would later be expanded to a true universal basic income. He also campaigned on a cancellation of debts by the government for those struggling with problematic debts.[37][38]

    Committee memberships

    • Committee for Defense
    • Committee for Digital Affairs
    • Committee for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
    • Commitete for Education, Culture and Science
    • Committee for European Affairs
    • Committee for Finance
    • Committee for Foreign Affairs
    • Committee for Health, Welfare and Sport
    • Committee for Infrastructure and Water Management
    • Committee for the Interior
    • Committee for Social Affairs and Employment
    • Contact Group France
    • Contact Group Germany
    • Procedure Committee
    • Public Expenditure Committee[1]

    Personal life

    Following his studies in Nijmegen, Dassen lived in Rotterdam before moving to Amsterdam, when he became a web and app developer at ABN AMRO. He left Amsterdam after eleven years in favor of The Hague in September 2021, while a member of parliament.[1][2][39] He met his girlfriend Britte while studying, and their son was born in 2023.[12][40][41]

    Electoral history

    Electoral history of Laurens Dassen
    Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
    Party seats Individual
    2021 House of Representatives Volt Netherlands 1 135,272 3 Won [42]
    2023 House of Representatives Volt Netherlands 1 97,999 2 Won [43]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "Laurens Dassen". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Evertse, Judith (16 May 2019). "Kempisch geluid vóór Europa: 'Van Knegsel naar het Europarlement'" [Sound from Campine in support of Europe: 'From Knegsel to the European Parliament']. Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 April 2021.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 Van Bekkum, Dylan (18 March 2021). "Volt-leider Laurens Dassen: verknocht aan het dorpse verenigingsleven, inspirator van een partij voor heel Europa" [Volt leader Laurens Dassen: devoted to social life in his village, inspirer of a party for all of Europe]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2021.
    4. ↑ "Geslaagd" [Graduated]. Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). 19 June 2013.
    5. 1 2 3 Kosterman, Ron (17 April 2021). "Het idee achter Volt is zo volstrekt logisch" [The idea behind Volt is extremely logical]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 77, no. 16. p. 38.
    6. 1 2 Te Bogt, Arjan (9 March 2021). "Volt wil de politiek opschudden: 'Denken in links en rechts is iets uit de vorige eeuw'" [Volt wants to shake up politics: 'Thinking in terms of left and right is something from last century']. Tubantia (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2021.
    7. ↑ "Afl. 11" [Ep. 11]. Weet ik veel. Season 12 (in Dutch). 13 November 2022. Event occurs at 00:02:46. RTL 4. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
    8. 1 2 Bouma, Hilda (22 March 2021). "Bankier Dassen was blut, en zit nu in de Tweede Kamer" [Banker Dassen used to be broke and is now a member of the House of Representatives]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2021.
    9. ↑ Van der Putten, Johan (31 December 2020). "Vroeger voetbalde Laurens Dassen in de Kempen, nu mikt hij op de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag" [Laurens Dassen used to play football in the Campine, now he aims for the House of Representatives in the Hague]. Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 April 2021.
    10. ↑ De Koning, Petra (10 February 2023). "Het waren maanden van vallen en opstaan. 'Ik had het gevoel dat alles waar ik voor stond in twijfel werd getrokken'" [They were months with ups and downs. 'I felt like all I stood for was being doubted']. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
    11. 1 2 "Volt-lijsttrekker Laurens Dassen: 'Een premier moet af en toe ook keuzes durven maken die zijn eigen leven op de kop kunnen zetten!'" [Volt lijsttrekker Laurens Dassen: 'A prime minister has to make some decisions that can turn his own life upside down']. Commissie-Douwes/PowNed (in Dutch). NPO Radio 1. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
    12. 1 2 3 Julen, Jeannine; Markus, Niels (30 March 2021). "Wie zijn Laurens Dassen en Caroline van der Plas, nieuwe stemmen in de Tweede Kamer?" [Who are Laurens Dassen and Caroline van der Plas, new voices in the House of Representatives?]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 April 2021.
    13. 1 2 3 "Secretarieel Jaarverslag" [Secretarial Annual Report] (PDF) (in Dutch). Volt Netherlands. pp. 2 and 3. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via ANBI.nl.
    14. ↑ "Uitslag Europees Parlementsverkiezing 2019" [Results 2019 European Parliament election] (PDF) (in Dutch). Kiesraad. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
    15. ↑ Valk, Guus; De Koning, Petra (13 March 2022). "Wat was het ongewenste gedrag van Nilüfer Gündogan?" [What was Nilüfer Gündoğan's unacceptable behavior?]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    16. ↑ Al Ali, Wafa (28 February 2021). "Europese Volt rekent op een zetel in Den Haag" [European party Volt counts on a seat in The Hague]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 March 2021.
    17. ↑ "Volt doet met Europees programma mee aan Nederlandse verkiezingen: 'Heel andere kijk van politiek'" [Volt participates in Dutch elections with a European platform: 'Completely different way of looking at politics']. WNL (in Dutch). 15 February 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    18. ↑ Wiegman, Marcel (5 March 2021). "Voltlijsttrekker Laurens Dassen: 'Ik kom met een positief verhaal, ja'" [Volt lijsttrekker Laurens Dassen: 'I am indeed coming with a positive narrative']. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
    19. ↑ "Definitieve uitslag verkiezingen: VVD 34 zetels, D66 24 en vier nieuwe partijen" [Final election results: VVD 34 seats, D66 24 and four new parties]. RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 26 March 2021.
    20. ↑ "Volt blijft erbij: wij willen niet in kabinet" [Volt persists: We do not want to join a cabinet]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 4 June 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    21. ↑ "Kamer wil 100 miljoen voor gratis schoollunch in kwetsbare wijken" [House wants to spend €100 million on free school lunches in vulnerable neighborhoods]. RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 23 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
    22. ↑ Korteweg, Ariejan (15 September 2021). "Kamer wil lobbyverbod voor bewindspersonen, maar nu echt" [House wants lobbying ban for cabinet members, but now really]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
    23. ↑ Wieringa, Rein (10 May 2022). "Omtzigt en Dassen komen met streng integriteitsplan" [Omtzigt and Dassen will introduce strict integrity plan]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 May 2022.
    24. ↑ Wolzak, Marine (10 May 2023). "Frustratie over besluit kabinet geen lobbyregister in te voeren" [Frustration about cabinet decision to not introduce a lobby register]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2023.
    25. ↑ Korteweg, Ariejan (1 January 2023). "Kabinet legt eigen lobbyruimte aan banden, Kamerleden en ambtenaren houden nog vrij spel" [Cabinet restricts its own lobbying possibilities, House members and officials remain in the clear]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
    26. ↑ "ChristenUnie en Volt: grotere Kamer, meer inhoudelijke debatten" [Christian Union and Volt: Larger House, more debates about policy]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
    27. ↑ Valk, Guus (29 August 2023). "Volt en ChristenUnie willen Tweede Kamer uitbreiden naar 250 zetels" [Volt and Christian Union want to expand House of Representatives to 250 seats]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 September 2023.
    28. ↑ "Gündoğan doet aangifte tegen Volt wegens smaad en laster" [Gündoğan files criminal complaint against Volt for defamation]. RTL Nieuws. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
    29. ↑ "Volt draait uit fractie zetten en schorsen Gündogan terug en wil in gesprek" [Volt turns back expulsion of Gündoğan and wants dialogue]. NU.nl. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
    30. ↑ "Volt-bestuur: pas verzoening als Gündogan aangiftes intrekt" [Volt leadership: Only reconciliation if Gündoğan withdraws criminal complaints]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
    31. ↑ Valk, Guus; De Koning, Petra (22 March 2022). "Volt stuurt Gündogan weg, in de zaal ernaast zingt de SGP" [Volt sends away Gündoğan, the SGP is singing in the adjoining room]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
    32. ↑ Julen, Jeannine (22 March 2022). "Volt zet Gündogan officieel uit de Kamerfractie – 'de relatie is duurzaam ontwricht'" [Volt suspends Gündoğan officially from House caucus - 'the relationship has been permanently broken']. Trouw. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
    33. ↑ Lubbe, Rozemarijn (29 March 2022). "Gündoğan volgens grootste groep Volt-kiezers terecht uit fractie gezet, affaire kost partij wel 3 zetels" [Gündoğan rightly expelled from the caucus according to majority of Volt voters, scandal does cause a three seat lost]. EenVandaag (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
    34. ↑ "Hof oordeelt in voordeel Volt: partij mocht Gündogan uit Kamerfractie zetten" [Appellate court rules in favor of Volt: Party was allowed to expel Gündoğan from House caucus]. NOS (in Dutch). 7 February 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
    35. ↑ "Volt-bestuur wil opnieuw Laurens Dassen als lijsttrekker" [Volt board wants Dassen to be lead candidate again]. NOS (in Dutch). 19 July 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
    36. ↑ Schmidt, Christoph (31 July 2023). "Laurens Dassen opnieuw lijsttrekker van Volt. 'Tijd voor een Europese politiek die keuzes durft te maken'" [Laurens Dassen again Volt's lead candidate. 'Time for a European politics that dares to make choices']. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 August 2023.
    37. ↑ "Dassen wil met Volt als 'breekijzer' oude systemen vervangen" [Dassen wants to replace old systems with Volt as 'catalyst']. Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
    38. ↑ "Volt wil radicale veranderingen en 'ander mensbeeld'" [Volt wants radical change and a 'different view of people']. NOS (in Dutch). 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
    39. ↑ "Dassen: Het is alle hens aan dek met de gascrisis, maar de urgentie ontbreekt" [Dassen: It is all hands on deck with the gas crisis, but the urgency is missing]. Newsroom Den Haag (in Dutch). 24 June 2022. BNR Nieuwsradio. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
    40. ↑ Van der Kloor, Robin (27 March 2022). "Voormalig bankier Laurens Dassen worstelt als Volt-leider met de kwestie-Gündogan: 'Hij valt op door niet op te vallen'" [Former banker Laurens Dassen wrestles with Gündoğan conflict as Volt leader: 'He is noticeable by being hardly noticeable']. De Limburger (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
    41. ↑ Dassen, Laurens [@laurens.dassen] (7 May 2023). "Ons kleine Dasje❤️ Mama en zoon maken het goed. We zijn sinds vorige week onwijs aan het genieten samen!🍀🤗" [Our little Dassen❤️ Mommy and son are doing good. They have been njoying each other's company immensely since last week!🍀🤗] (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2023 – via Instagram.
    42. ↑ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 153–154. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
    43. ↑ "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 113–114. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
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