Lilianne Ploumen

Elisabeth Maria Josepha "Lilianne" Ploumen (Dutch pronunciation: [eːˈlisaːbɛt maːˈrijaː joːˈseːfaː liliˈjɑnə ˈplumə(n)]; born 12 July 1962) is a Dutch politician and activist who served as Leader of the Labour Party from January 2021 until April 2022. She had been a member of the House of Representatives since 2017, as well as parliamentary leader since 2021, leaving the House of Representatives upon her resignation as party leader. Ploumen previously served as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation from 2012 to 2017.

Early life and career

Ploumen was born in Maastricht on 12 July 1962.

In 1983, while still at university, Ploumen became a community outreach worker in the Crooswijk area of Rotterdam. Two years later she joined the Institute of Psychological Market Research (IPM), a research-based consultancy, working in the statistics department as a research project leader. From 1990 to 1992 she was a marketing and research manager for Foster Parents Plan in Amsterdam. Ploumen then moved to Plan, the London-based umbrella organization, in 1993. In 1995 she founded Ploumen Projecten, an organization specializing in market research and innovation for commercial and non-profit clients.

Ploumen was director of Mama Cash and worked for Cordaid as head of quality and strategy and subsequently as director of international programmes.

Political career

Ploumen became a member of the Labour Party in 2003.

She was the chairwoman of the Labour Party from 6 October 2007, after she beat former Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Jan Pronk with 54% of the vote. She resigned from this post on 22 January 2012 and was succeeded by Hans Spekman.