Aant Jelle Soepboer is a Dutch politician, writer, and former civil servant representing New Social Contract (NSC).[1] He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 6 December 2023. Earlier, he was municipal councillor and alderman of the Frisian municipality Noardeast-Fryslân, representing the Frisian National Party (FNP).[2] He is committed to the emancipation of the Frisian language.[3][4]
Aant Jelle Soepboer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 6 December 2023 | |
| Alderman of Noardeast-Fryslân | |
| In office 19 May 2022 – 18 October 2023 | |
| Succeeded by | Hanneke Jouta |
| Municipal councillor of Noardeast-Fryslân | |
| In office 1 January 2019 – 19 May 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 August 1989 Dokkum, Netherlands |
| Political party | NSC (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations | FNP (2017–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | NHL Leeuwarden (BEd) |
| Occupation |
|
Early life and teaching career
editSoepboer was born in 1989 in Dokkum, where he also grew up.[2] Soepboer completed the teacher training course in history and geography at NHL Leeuwarden from 2006 to 2011.[2] During his final year of study in September 2010, he became a history and geography teacher for the Liudger Christian School Community in Burgum where he worked until August 2020.[2][5] He co-wrote a series of history books targeted at young people called Vet oud (Super old).[5]
Political career
editNoardeast-Fryslân
editWhen the Municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân considered banning a parade out of safety concerns, Soepboer wrote a letter about the importance of local traditions.[5] He subsequently decided to become a member of the FNP at the end of 2017, just before the 2018 municipal elections, in which he participated as 16th on the electoral list. Through a campaign in which quality of life in the countryside and upholding traditions, such as supporting the continued use of flat carts in parades (as a result of which many young people voted for him), played an important role, he managed to get into the municipal council of Noardeast-Fryslân with preferential votes.[6]
In the four years that he has been a councillor, Soepboer gained prominence by writing articles in regional and national newspapers about issues such as the housing shortage, building for young people with a socio-economic connection to the area, traditions such as carbide shooting and floats and combating shrinkage.[7] He has also appeared on TV several times, for example in De Hofkar with Rutger Castricum and with Arjen Lubach.
In the 2022 municipal elections, Soepboer became party leader and achieved a victory with the FNP faction in the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân, making the party the largest party in the municipal council with 8 of the 29 seats.[8] Together with Sociaal in Noardeast (S!N) and Gemeentebelangen Noardeast-Fryslân, the FNP formed the coalition and concluded a "local agreement with the Mienskip" (Mienskip meaning 'community').[9] Soepboer took office as alderman for the FNP together with Bert Koonstra. His portfolio included "mienskip", culture, public space management, and the environment. The Frisian language was also part of his portfolio and he took part in the Provinciaal Bestuurlijk overleg Frysk ('Provincial Administrative consultation Frisian'). On 19 October 2023, Soepboer left his office as alderman to be active in national politics, and he was succeeded by Hanneke Jouta.[10]
House of Representatives
editSoepboer joined New Social Contract (NSC), which was founded by Pieter Omtzigt in the run-up to the November2023 general election. They had met during a working visit of Omtzigt to the province.[5] Soepboer was the party's seventh candidate in the election, in which NSC secured 20 seats.[11] He was sworn in as a member of parliament on 6 December 2023.[12] He serves as the party's spokesperson for primary, secondary, and vocational education and for water.[13] When NSC agreed to discontinue temporary education subsidies as part of the Schoof cabinet's coalition agreement, Soepboer defended the decision saying targeted structural financing is a better way to solve education issues. He called for a comprehensive plan to restore the quality of education.[5]
Personal life
editSoepboer is the drummer of the Frisian folk metal band Baldrs Draumar, a band with a focus of Friesland and Norse mythology.[11] As of 2024, he had a wife and a son.[14]
Electoral history
edit| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2023 | House of Representatives | New Social Contract | 7 | 10,161 | 20 | Won | [15] | |
References
edit- ^ "Aant Jelle Soepboer". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d "A.J. (Aant-Jelle) Soepboer". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Aant Jelle Soepboer: ga minder nuchter om met de Friese taal" [Aant Jelle Soepboer: deal less phlegmatically with the Frisian language]. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (in Dutch). 16 September 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "De Friese taal dreigt een spreektaal te worden. Aant Jelle Soepboer maakt zich zorgen" [The Frisian language threatens to become a dialect. Aant Jelle Soepboer is worried.]. NPO Radio 2 (in Dutch). 10 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Lammers, Esther (25 July 2024). "Kersvers Kamerlid Aant Jelle Soepboer (NSC) gelooft in het kabinet. 'Maar niet alles kan leuk zijn'" [Fresh MP Aant Jelle Soepboer (NSC) trusts the cabinet. 'But it can't all be fun']. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ Miedema, Sippie (24 November 2018). "Als zestiende op de lijst maar als tweede in de raad" [Sixteenth on the list, but second in the council]. Friesch Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ Soepboer, Aant-Jelle; Knol, Sijbe (22 November 2022). "Opinie: Beste Randstedeling, blijf van ons carbid af" [Opinion: Dear Randstad resident, stay away from our carbide]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Gemeenteraad" [Municipal council]. Noardeast-Fryslân (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Ferbûn mei de Mienskip" [Connection with the Community] (PDF). Sociaal in Noardeast (in Western Frisian). May 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Hanneke Jouta nieuwe wethouder Noardeast-Fryslân, dit laat Soepboer aan haar over" [Hanneke Jouta new alderman Noardeast-Fryslân, this is what Soepboer leaves behind]. Omrop Fryslân (in Dutch). 5 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Soepboer distantieert zich van extreemrechts: "Verschrikkelijk om in zo'n hoek gedrukt te worden"" [Soepboer distances himself from far-right: "Horrible to be pushed in such a corner"]. Omrop Fryslân (in Dutch). 27 September 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Kamerleden beëdigd" [Members of parliament sworn in]. Tweede Kamer (in Dutch). 6 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Tweede Kamerfractie" [House of Representatives group]. New Social Contract (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ Vroegindeweij, Gerard (27 July 2024). "Geschiedenisleraar komt na debat over optocht uiteindelijk in Kamer terecht" [History teacher ends up entering the House after controversy about parade]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 185–186. Retrieved 21 December 2023.