Robert Baljeu

Robert Jan P. Baljeu (born 19 June 1969) is a Dutch politician, who is a temporary member of the Senate and has been occupying a seat in the States of North Holland since 2019. After he was expelled from the right-wing populist party Forum for Democracy (FvD) shortly after his election, he became a member of the splinter party Group Otten.

Robert Baljeu
Member of the Senate
Assumed office
15 December 2020
Preceded byHugo Berkhout
Member of the States of North Holland
Assumed office
28 March 2019
Personal details
Born
R.J.P. Baljeu

(1969-06-19) 19 June 1969
Velsen, Netherlands
Political partyGroup Otten
Other political
affiliations		Forum for Democracy (until 2019)
Alma materUniversity of Amsterdam

Education and career

Baljeu was born in 1969 in the North Holland municipality Velsen.[1] He studied psychology at the University of Amsterdam in the years 1992–95, but did not finish his studies.[2][1] Subsequently, he worked for three years as an account manager at textile company Sikkes International and for two years as a field manager at International Computers Limited. In 2000, he took at job as a manager at ICT services company Getronics, but left to work as an account manager for HR software company Raet between 2003 and 2010.[1]

Baljeu has been an independent HRM and ICT consultant since 2010, owning his own company called Turning Point.[1][3]

Politics

After joining Forum for Democracy, he became responsible for recruiting and training political candidates, especially for the 2019 provincial elections, in 2016.[3][4] The following year, he also became the director of Forum for Democracy's party office.[4] Baljeu himself also participated in the March 2019 provincial election as the second candidate on the FvD's party list in North Holland, and he was elected to the States of North Holland with 7,779 preferential votes.[5]

Expulsion and Senate election

On 14 May 2019 – less than two months after joining the States of North Holland – he was expelled from the Forum for Democracy caucus after all other members had lost confidence in Baljeu. The caucus leader said the reason was an internal matter.[6] His paid position as recruiter had come to an end shortly before. Baljeu had been an ally of Forum for Democracy co-founder Henk Otten, who had been sidelined a few weeks earlier. In an interview after his expulsion, Baljeu said Forum for Democracy had a "culture of fear" and criticized a group within the party that according to him was flirting with the alt-right. He decided to keep his seat in the States of North Holland and continued as a one-man caucus, causing Forum for Democracy to lose its position as the largest party in the province.[7]

Baljeu appeared fifteenth on the Forum for Democracy party list for the Senate election held on 29 May. His candidacy had already been finalized before his expulsion.[7] Forum for Democracy received twelve seats, and Baljeu was not elected. He had voted for Henk Otten, while all FvD members from North Holland had voted for the sixteenth candidate, Hugo Berkhout. NH reported that this was probably an attempt to prevent Baljeu from winning a seat.[8]

Group Otten and senator

When Henk Otten, then a senator, was being expelled from Forum for Democracy in July 2019, the party released a press release saying, among other things, that it suspected that Otten had tried to commit fraud. Baljeu's consultancy company supposedly charged €29,000 for activities that had not occurred to claim government subsidies. Otten, who confirmed that the payment had happened, said that the claims constituted defamation as Baljeu had done work for that money.[9] Baljeu subsequently joined Otten's splinter party Group Otten and became a staffer of the Senate caucus and a board member.[10][11] That party merged with the Party for the Future in June 2020, but continued again under the name Group Otten after Henk Krol had left the party in October.[12] Baljeu remained a member of the board throughout this period.[13]

Baljeu was sworn in as senator on 15 December 2020 as Hugo Berkhout's replacement. Berkhout had served as a temporary senator during Annabel Nanninga's maternity leave, but became the permanent replacement of Paul Cliteur after his resignation, leaving a vacant seat for Baljeu.[14] Nanninga is expected to return from her leave on 14 February 2021, bringing an end to Baljeu's term.[15] He is a member of the Committees for Education, Culture, and Science and for Health, Welfare, and Sport.[16]

Personal life

Baljeu is a resident of the Dutch capital Amsterdam.[1]

References
  1. "R.J.P. Baljeu (Fractie-Otten)". Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  2. "R.J.P. Baljeu (Robert Jan)". Provincie Noord-Holland (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  3. Joosten, Carla (27 March 2019). "De 100 van Thierry Baudet" [The 100 of Thierry Baudet]. Elsevier Weekblad (in Dutch).
  4. De Witt Wijnen, Philip (14 May 2019). "Ruzie binnen Statenfractie FVD Noord-Holland" [Members of the North Holland States Provincial FvD caucus at odds]. nrc.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  5. Van Leeuwen, Roel (15 May 2019). "Forum voor Democratie dreigt zetel kwijt te raken na wegsturen van Robert Baljeu" [Forum for Democracy in danger of losing a seat after dismissing Robert Baljeu]. Noordhollands Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  6. "Statenlid Forum voor Democratie in Noord-Holland uit fractie gezet" [States Provincial member Forum for Democracy expelled from the caucus in North Holland]. Trouw (in Dutch). 15 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  7. Hendrickx, Frank; Mebius, Dion (15 May 2020). "Verstoten FvD-kopstuk Robert Baljeu: 'Binnen de partij heerst een enorme angstcultuur'" [Expelled FvD leadership member Robert Baljeu: 'There is a culture of fear within the party']. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  8. "Forum voor Democratie lijkt weggestuurd Statenlid uit Eerste Kamer te weren" [Forum for Democracy seemingly wants to keep expelled Provincial States member out of the Senate]. NH Nieuws (in Dutch). 27 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  9. Boon, Floor; Rutten, Rik (24 July 2019). "Forum royeert Henk Otten" [Forum expels Henk Otten]. nrc.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  10. Knoop, Bas (19 August 2019). "Verzet tegen koers van Forum lijkt groter dan Baudet wil toegeven" [Protest against course Forum seems larger than Baudet wants to admit]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. "R.J.P. (Robert) Baljeu". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Parlementair Documentatie Centrum. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  12. "Henk Krol na ruzie met Henk Otten weg bij Partij voor de Toekomst" [Henk Krol leaves Party for the Future after quarrel with Henk Otten]. NOS (in Dutch). 18 October 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  13. Van der Aa, Edwin; Winterman, Peter (15 October 2020). "Henk Otten ontketent nieuwe strijd binnen Partij voor de Toekomst" [Henk Otten unleashes new fight with the Party for the Future]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  14. "Tijdelijk derde senaatszetel voor fractie-Otten" [Temporary third Senate seat for Group Otten]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  15. "Tijdelijke benoeming R.J.P. Baljeu tot lid van de Eerste Kamer" [Temporary appointment R.J.P. Baljeu as member of the Senate]. Kiesraad (Press release) (in Dutch). 8 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  16. "Lidmaatschappen R.J.P. Baljeu" [Memberships R.J.P. Baljeu]. Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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