Silveria Jacobs
{{short description|Sint Maarten politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Her Excellency
| name =
| image = Silveria Jacobs, 2023.png
| caption = Jacobs in 2023
| office = 7th Prime Minister of Sint Maarten
| monarch = Willem-Alexander
| governor = Eugene Holiday
Ajamu Baly
| deputy =
| term_start = 19 November 2019
| term_end = 3 May 2024
| succeeding =
| predecessor = Wycliffe Smith
| successor = Luc Mercelina
| office1 =
| term_start1 =
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|7|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = National Alliance
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| children = 2
| alma_mater = University of the Virgin Islands
| religion =
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| website =
}}
File:UNGA77 Silveria Jacobs and António Guterres.jpg in 2022]]
File:Koninkrijksoverleg 2022 - 52458419800.jpg in 2022]]
Silveria Elfrieda Jacobs (born 31 July 1968){{cite web |title=National Alliance Articles of Association |url=http://www.ecsxm.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Articles-of-Association-NA.pdf |website=Sint Maarten Electoral Council |page=8 |access-date=2019-11-19 |archive-date=2019-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117161338/http://www.ecsxm.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Articles-of-Association-NA.pdf |url-status=dead }} is a Sint Maarten politician and the former Prime Minister of Sint Maarten from 2019 to 2024.{{cite news |date=19 November 2019 |title=St. Maarten has new government |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92592-st-maarten-has-new-government |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214222233/https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92592-st-maarten-has-new-government |archive-date=2019-12-14 |work=The Daily Herald}}
Early life and education
Silveria Elfrieda Jacobs was born on 31 July 1968 on Aruba to Nadia Willemsberg. As a child, Jacobs attended the Leonald Conner School and Milton Peters College on Sint Maarten.{{cite news |title=National Alliance extends condolences to Minister Silveria Jacobs on the passing of her Mother. |url=https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/10473-national-alliance-extends-condolences-to-minister-silveria-jacobs-on-the-passing-of-her-mother.html |work=SMN News |date=5 November 2012}} After receiving her HAVO diploma in 1986, Jacobs enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Education. Between 1992 and 2011, Jacobs worked at the Leonard Conner primary school in Philipsburg, first as a teacher and later as a student coordinator.
Career
In 2010, Jacobs joined the National Alliance (NA).{{cite news |date=18 August 2010 |title=NA presents full slate ~ Aiming for 10 seats, Laveis included ~ |url=http://www.thedailyherald.info/subscribers/clients-files/2010/08-Aug-2010/Aug-18-10.pdf |work=The Daily Herald |page=1, 5}}{{dead link|date=May 2024}} Between 2012 and 2013, she served as Minister of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture in the second Wescot-Williams cabinet.{{Cite web |date=May 22, 2012 |title=New government Sint Maarten: Ministers sworn in |url=http://www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com/constitutional-news/1969-new-government-sint-maarten-ministers-sworn-in |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal}}{{cite news |date=6 May 2013 |title=NA-led coalition loses support, new govt with UP, DP, Laville |url=http://thedailyherald.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38114 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303200117/http://thedailyherald.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38114 |archive-date=2022-03-03 |work=The Daily Herald}} She also held this office from 2015 to 2018 in the first and second Marlin cabinets.{{cite web |date=19 November 2015 |title=New NA-led Cabinet to be sworn in today |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/53600-new-na-led-cabinet-to-be-sworn-in-today |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119104700/https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/53600-new-na-led-cabinet-to-be-sworn-in-today |archive-date=2015-11-19 |website=The Daily Herald}}{{cite web|title=Prime Minister William Marlin promised open and transparent government.|url=http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/20523-prime-minister-william-marlin-promised-open-and-transparent-government.html|website=SMN News|date=19 November 2015}}{{cite web|title=Upgrade New Governing Operating System 21.0 to secure future Growth.|url=http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/24499-upgrade-new-governing-operating-system-21-0-to-scure-future-growth.html|website=SMN News|date=20 December 2016}}{{cite news |date=16 December 2016 |title=Governing Programme submitted to Holiday, swearing-in on Tuesday |url=https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily-herald/governing-programme-submitted-to-holiday-swearing-in-on-tuesday/ |work=The Daily Herald |page=1, 9 |access-date=15 May 2024 |archive-date=15 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515034948/https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily-herald/governing-programme-submitted-to-holiday-swearing-in-on-tuesday/ |url-status=dead }}
In 2014, she was elected a member of parliament. On 3 January 2018, she succeeded William Marlin as the NA party leader, the first woman in this position.{{cite news |date=4 January 2018 |title=NA elects its first woman leader under theme 'Always Progressing' |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/72415-na-elects-its-first-woman-leader-under-theme-always-progressing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001205205/https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/72415-na-elects-its-first-woman-leader-under-theme-always-progressing |archive-date=2019-10-01 |work=The Daily Herald}} In the previous three elections Jacobs, finished overall as the second largest vote getter behind Theodore Heyliger.{{cite news |date=8 November 2017 |title=Jacobs accepts to lead NA, to be formalised by congress |url=https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily-herald/jacobs-accepts-to-lead-na-to-be-formalised-by-congress/ |work=The Daily Herald}}{{cite news |date=27 September 2016 |title=NA 5, UP 5, USP 3, DP 2 |url=https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily-herald/na-5-up-5-usp-3-dp-2/ |work=The Daily Herald}}{{cite news |date=27 February 2019 |title=United Democrats get most seats, but coalition looms |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/united-democrats-get-most-seats-but-coalition-looms |work=The Daily Herald}}
After the fall of the second Marlin-Romeo cabinet, a coalition agreement was reached between the National Alliance, the United St. Maarten Party and independent MPs Luc Mercelina and Chanel Brownbill. Jacobs was appointed by Governor Eugene Holiday on 30 September 2019 to form an interim cabinet that should, among other things, give priority to the completion of anti-money laundering legislation and the preparation of state elections and electoral reforms.{{cite news |date=30 September 2019 |title=Governor requests NA leader to form interim government |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/governor-requests-na-leader-to-form-interim-government |work=The Daily Herald}} The first Jacobs cabinet was sworn in on 19 November 2019.
Jacobs addressed the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Sint Maarten. She ordered an extension to travel restrictions on 11 March 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlucianewsonline.com/st-maarten-extends-coronavirus-restrictions-from-14-to-21-days/|title=St. Maarten extends coronavirus restrictions from 14 to 21 days|last=Joseph|first=Sharine|date=2020-03-12|website=St. Lucia News Online|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-08}} The second Jacobs cabinet was sworn in on 28 March 2020. The second Jacobs cabinet consisted of Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Development (VROMI) Egbert Jurendy Doran; Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Rodolphe Samuel; Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion; Minister of Justice Anna Richardson; Minister of Labor and Health (VSA) Omar Ottley, Minister of Plenipotentiary Renee Violenus; Minister Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic, and Telecommunications (TEATT) Arthur Leo Lambriex. The position of Minister of TEATT was held by Richard Pannefleck, who was succeeded by Member of Parliament Ludmila de Weever. Upon MP de Weever's return to Parliament, Roger Lawrence was appointed Minister of TEATT. Subsequent to Mr. Lawrence's resignation, Arthur Leo Lambriex took on and remained in the Ministerial position for the remainder of the Jacobs II Cabinet tenure.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Prime Ministers of Sint Maarten}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Silveria}}
Category:21st-century women prime ministers
Category:Sint Maarten women in politics
Category:Prime ministers of Sint Maarten
Category:National Alliance (Sint Maarten) politicians
Category:21st-century Dutch women politicians
Category:21st-century Dutch politicians