Marja van Bijsterveldt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Janneke Marlene van Bijsterveldt-Vliegenthart | |
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| In office 2007 – present |
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chair of the Christian Democratic Appeal
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| In office 2002 – 2007 |
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| Born | 27 June 1961 |
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| Political party | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| Residence | Schipluiden, Netherlands |
| Religion | Protestant (Reformed) |
Janneke Marlene ("Marja") van Bijsterveldt-Vliegenthart (born 27 June 1961 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) is a Dutch politician. She is state secretary for education, culture and science.
Van Bijsterveldt attended nursing school and worked in healthcare. In 1990 she became politically active for the Christian Democratic Appeal. As member of the Almere municipal council amd alderwoman in the same place. She left her post after the mayor of Almere's declarations were researched. She disagreed with the way the other aldermen of the social-democratic PvdA and the liberal VVD had dealt with the matter, after a motion of no-confidence of the VVD and the PvdA she resigned. In 1994 she became mayor of Schipluiden, with her 33 years, she was the youngest mayor in Dutch history. She also was active within the CDA. First as chair of the CDJA, the CDA's youth organization and later as chair of the CDA-women's council.
In November 2002 Van Bijsterveldt became chair of the CDA. She was the first chair elected directly elected by the CDA membership. She beat the other candidate with 26.542 against 9.574 votes. She was re-elected for a period of four years in 2006.
