Caroline van der Plas
{{Short description|Dutch politician and journalist (born 1967)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Van der Plas|Plas|lang=Dutch}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Caroline van der Plas
| image = Caroline van der Plas.jpg
| office = Leader of the Farmer–Citizen Movement
| status =
| term_start = 17 October 2020
| term_end =
| predecessor = Position established
| successor =
| office2 = Leader of the Farmer–Citizen Movement in the House of Representatives
| term_start2 = 31 March 2021
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 = Position established
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of the House of Representatives
| term_start3 = 31 March 2021
| term_end3 =
| birth_name = Caroline Ann Maria van der Plas
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|6|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = Cuijk, Netherlands
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Farmer–Citizen Movement (2019–present)
| spouse = {{marriage|Jan Gruben||21 September 2019|end=died}}
| children = 2
| caption = Official portrait, 2021
| otherparty = Christian Democratic Appeal (before 2019)
| signature = Signature of Caroline van der Plas.svg
}}
Caroline Ann Maria van der Plas ({{IPA|nl|ˈkɛrəlɑiɱ vɑn dər ˈplɑs|pron}}; born 6 June 1967) is a Dutch journalist and politician who has served as a member of the House of Representatives since 2021.{{Cite web|title=C.A.M. (Caroline) van der Plas|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vlh5b5o7a7mw/c_a_m_caroline_van_der_plas|access-date=2021-03-24|website=Parlement.com|language=nl}} A former member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which she left in 2019, she is the founder and current party leader of the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB).{{cite web |title=BBB partijgeschiedenis |url=https://dnpp.nl/pp/bbb/geschied |website=Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen |accessdate=1 November 2020 |language=nl}}
Early life and career
Van der Plas was born on 6 June 1967 in Cuijk to a Dutch father and an Irish mother. Her father, Wil van der Plas (1937–2014), was a sports journalist and worked for the regional newspaper Deventer Dagblad.{{cite news |last1=Willems |first1=Ingrid |title=Caroline van der Plas (52) uit Deventer verloor haar man, als frontvrouw van de boeren jeuken haar handen |url=https://www.destentor.nl/deventer/caroline-van-der-plas-52-uit-deventer-verloor-haar-man-als-frontvrouw-van-de-boeren-jeuken-haar-handen~a9145447/ |access-date=24 March 2021 |work=De Stentor |date=27 December 2019}}{{cite web |title=Overlijdensbericht Wilhelmus Gualbertus Hermanus (Wil) van der Plas |url=https://mensenlinq.nl/overlijdensberichten/wilhelmus-gualbertus-hermanus-wil-plas-5830081/ |website=Mensenlinq |access-date=24 April 2021 |language=nl}} Her mother, Nuala Fitzpatrick, is a retired politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), who served as an alderman in the municipal executive of Deventer.
Van der Plas began her career as a journalist, covering the meat industry for Reed Business. She would later shift to communications, providing support to agricultural workers' associations and the Dutch Association of Pig Farmers.
Political career
Originally a member of the CDA, Van der Plas left the party shortly after the 2019 provincial elections. During her membership, she had frequently criticised the party for not doing enough to represent the interests of the agricultural sector. In response to the widespread farmers' protests that took place in the Netherlands in October 2019, she then founded the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB).
On 17 October 2020, Van der Plas was unanimously chosen as the party leader of the BBB.{{cite news|last1=Buning|first1=Stefan|date=17 October 2020|title=Caroline van der Plas gekozen als lijsttrekker BoerBurgerBeweging|work=Agraaf|url=https://www.agraaf.nl/artikel/370117-caroline-van-der-plas-gekozen-als-lijsttrekker-boerburgerbeweging/|access-date=24 March 2021}} Her campaign for the 2021 general election focused on issues important to rural and agrarian voters, including pledges for a "Ministry of the Countryside" located at least 100 kilometres from The Hague, and a removal of the ban on neonicotinoids. The party won one seat in the House of Representatives, and Van der Plas was installed on 31 March 2021.{{cite web |title=Definitieve uitslag verkiezingen: VVD 34 zetels, D66 24 en vier nieuwe partijen |url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/politiek/artikel/5220644/kamerverkiezingen-2021-uitslag-gemeente |website=RTL Nieuws |access-date=24 April 2021 |language=nl |date=26 March 2021}}{{cite web |title=Nieuwe Tweede Kamer in drie etappes beëdigd |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2374860-nieuwe-tweede-kamer-in-drie-etappes-beedigd.html |website=NOS |access-date=24 April 2021 |language=nl |date=31 March 2021}} She continued to serve as the BBB's parliamentary leader after the November 2023 general election as well as spokesperson for agriculture, nature, health, and infrastructure. The latter two specialties were replaced by foreign trade and development aid following the swearing in of the Schoof cabinet.{{Cite web |url = https://boerburgerbeweging.nl/kamerleden/caroline-van-der-plas/ |access-date = 17 November 2024 |language = nl |website = Farmer–Citizen Movement |title = Caroline van der Plas }}
Personal life
Van der Plas lives in Deventer and has two sons. Her husband, Jan Gruben, died in 2019 of pancreatic cancer.
She was raised a Roman Catholic, but is now irreligious.{{Cite web |date=16 March 2023 |title=Caroline van der Plas: 'Ik geloof wel dat er meer is tussen hemel en aarde' |url=https://www.eo.nl/artikel/caroline-van-der-plas-ik-zie-god-niet-als-een-persoon-maar-ik-geloof-wel-dat-er-meer-is-tussen-hemel-en-aarde |access-date= |website=Evangelische Omroep |language=nl}}
Electoral history
{{Incomplete list|date=December 2023}}
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border=2 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 style="border: 1px #aaa solid; font-size: 90%; text-align:center;"
|+ {{sronly|Electoral history of Caroline van der Plas}} ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Year ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Body ! scope="col" colspan=2 rowspan=2 |Party ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |{{abbr|2=Position on the party list|Pos.}} ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Votes ! scope="colgroup" colspan=2 |Result ! scope="col" rowspan=2 class="unsortable" |{{abbr|2=References|Ref}}. |
| scope="col" |Party seats
! scope="col" |Individual |
|---|
| scope="row" | 2021
| style="background-color:{{party color|Farmer–Citizen Movement}};"| | style=text-align:right | 1 | style=text-align:right | 56,205 | style=text-align:right | 1 | {{yes2|Won}} |
| scope="row" | 2023
| House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|Farmer–Citizen Movement}};"| | Farmer–Citizen Movement | style=text-align:right | 1 | style=text-align:right | 387,494 | style=text-align:right | 7 | {{yes2|Won}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2021–2023}}
{{Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2023–present}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plas, Caroline van der}}
Category:21st-century Dutch women politicians
Category:20th-century Dutch journalists
Category:Dutch people of Irish descent
Category:Dutch political party founders
Category:Dutch public relations people
Category:Farmer–Citizen Movement politicians
Category:Leaders of political parties in the Netherlands