Frank Wassenberg
{{Short description|Dutch politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Frank Wassenberg
| image = Profielfoto Frank Wassenberg.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Frank Wassenberg (2017)
| office1 = Member of the House of Representatives
| term_start1 = 23 March 2017
| term_end1 = 5 December 2023
| term_start2 = 17 November 2015
| term_end2 = 18 October 2016
| office3 = Member of the States of Limburg
| term_start3 = 26 March 2015
| term_end3 =
| term_start4 = 15 March 2007
| term_end4 = 11 March 2011
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|05|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = Heer, Netherlands
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Party for the Animals
| alma_mater = Utrecht University
| website = |
}}
Frank P. Wassenberg (born 2 May 1966) is a Dutch politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Party for the Animals between November 2016 and October 2017 and between March 2017 and December 2023. He was the temporary replacement Esther Ouwehand in the former. He serves in the States of Limburg since the 2015 elections, and previously served between 2007 and 2011.
Career
Wassenberg was born on 2 May 1966 in Heer, Maastricht. After completing his high school education in Maastricht in 1985 he went to study biology at Utrecht University and graduated in 1992.{{cite web|url=http://www.parlement.com/id/vj09kuptt2ks/f_p_frank_wassenberg |title=Drs. F.P. (Frank) Wassenberg |publisher=Parlement.com |access-date=7 April 2017}} Since 1993 he has worked as a policy officer for various foundations for animal rights, since 2006 for the {{Interlanguage link multi|Koningin Sophia-Vereeniging tot Bescherming van Dieren|nl}}.
Wassenberg was elected to the States of Limburg for the Party for the Animals in the 2007 elections. He served one four-year term. In the 2011 elections the party did not manage to obtain any seats. In the 2015 elections Wassenberg was once more elected to the States, as the sole representative of the party.{{cite web|author=Jean van Hoof |url=http://www.1limburg.nl/frank-wassenberg-geinstalleerd-als-tweede-kamerlid |title=Frank Wassenberg geïnstalleerd als Tweede Kamerlid |language=nl |publisher=1Limburg |date=17 November 2015 |access-date=8 December 2015}}
In November 2015 Esther Ouwehand temporarily resigned her seat in the House of Representatives for health reasons. Wassenberg became her replacement with an expected term of four months.{{cite web|url=http://www.l1.nl/nieuws/302268-frank-wassenberg-begint-aan-pittige-klus-voor-4-maanden |title=Frank Wassenberg begint aan pittige klus voor 4 maanden |language=nl |publisher=L1 |date=17 November 2015 |access-date=8 December 2015}} He has been reappointed multiple times since the passing of the first four months.{{cite web|url=https://www.kiesraad.nl/actueel/nieuws/2016/06/28/benoeming-f-p-wassenberg-tot-lid-van-de-tweede-kamer |title=Benoeming F.P. Wassenberg tot lid van de Tweede Kamer |language=nl |publisher=Kiesraad |date=28 June 2016 |access-date=2 October 2016}}
In September 2016, Wassenberg missed a vote on a bill to reform Holland’s organ-donor system. The bill provided that, if a person does not specify “yes” or “no” on the form to donate organs upon one’s death, s/he will be registered as making “no objection” to organ donation; one could still change the “no objection” status later. If one remains registered as “no objection” at the time of death, the organs become available for donation — unless one’s close family member objects. The bill passed Holland’s lower house of parliament by a vote of 75 to 74.[https://nltimes.nl/2016/09/14/new-organ-donor-law-voted-due-mps-tardiness “New organ donor law voted in due to MP’s tardiness”] by Eerste Kamer. NL Times, 14 September 2016.
Wassenberg had planned to vote against the bill: Although he and his party considered it “terribly important” for the country’s health services to attract more organ donors, he felt the bill encroached on people’s freedom of choice regarding their own bodies. Wassenberg admitted an “incredibly stupid mistake” in missing the vote: “I had an appointment outside The Hague, and then something went wrong with the timetable. The group tried to reach me, but I had my phone turned off during the conversation.”{{cite news|author=Edwin van der Aa |url=http://www.ad.nl/dossier-nieuws/donorwet-aangenomen-na-enorme-blunder-van-kamerlid~a771a47f/ |title=Donorwet aangenomen na 'enorme blunder' van Kamerlid |language=nl |newspaper=Algemeen Dagblad |date=13 September 2016 |access-date=2 October 2016}}
Esther Ouwehand returned to the House of Representatives on 18 October 2016, ending Wassenberg's temporary replacement.{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/26818892/__Ouwehand_terug_in_Kamer__.html |title=Ouwehand (PvdD) terug in Tweede Kamer |language=nl |publisher=de Telegraaf |date=14 October 2016 |access-date=8 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109021451/http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/26818892/__Ouwehand_terug_in_Kamer__.html |archive-date=9 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}
After the 2017 general election Wassenberg returned to the House, taking office on 23 March 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.parlement.com/id/vkcrcojy43s3/nieuws/achtergrond_71_vertrekkers_maar_58 |title=Achtergrond: 71 vertrekkers, maar 58 nieuwkomers |language=nl |publisher=Parlement.com |access-date=7 April 2017}} He lost his bid for re-election in November 2023, and his term ended on 5 December. Wassenberg ran for the European Parliament as his party's second candidate in June 2024, but his party secured only one seat.
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 Frank Wassenberg}} ! 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" | 2010
| style="background-color:{{party color|Party for the Animals}};"| | style=text-align:right | 4 | style=text-align:right | 1,889 | style=text-align:right | 2 | {{no2|Lost}} |
| scope="row" | 2012
| House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|Party for the Animals}};"| | Party for the Animals | style=text-align:right | 3 | style=text-align:right | 2,677 | style=text-align:right | 2 | {{no2|Lost}}{{efn|Wassenberg was appointed to the body later during the term due to a vacancy.}} |
| scope="row" | 2017
| House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|Party for the Animals}};"| | Party for the Animals | style=text-align:right | 4 | style=text-align:right | 2,773 | style=text-align:right | 5 | {{yes2|Won}} |
| scope="row" | 2021
| House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|Party for the Animals}};"| | Party for the Animals | style=text-align:right | 4 | style=text-align:right | 7,128 | style=text-align:right | 6 | {{yes2|Won}} |
| scope="row" | 2023
| House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|Party for the Animals}};"| | Party for the Animals | style=text-align:right | 4 | style=text-align:right | 3,618 | style=text-align:right | 3 | {{no2|Lost}} |
| scope="row" | 2024
| style="background-color:{{party color|Party for the Animals}};”| | Party for the Animals | style=text-align:right | 2 | style=text-align:right | 11,246 | style=text-align:right | 1 | {{no2|Lost}} |
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{in lang|nl}} [http://www.parlement.com/id/vj09kuptt2ks/f_p_frank_wassenberg Parlement.com biography]
{{Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2021–2023}}
{{Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2017–2021}}
{{Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2012–2017}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wassenberg, Frank}}
Category:Members of the Provincial Council of Limburg
Category:Party for the Animals politicians
Category:Politicians from Maastricht
Category:Utrecht University alumni