Peter van Haasen
Once you've been bitten by the Caribbean bug, it's hard to get over it.
My name is Peter van Haasen. I am a down-to-earth man from the Zaan region who ended up in the Dutch Parliament quite unexpectedly. I am married, have one adult son, two adult stepchildren, and now two grandchildren. For almost my entire life, I worked as a self-employed business owner. In politics, I served for years as the local party leader for the PVV in the municipality of Zaanstad.
In 2021, after spending two years recovering from a severe case of COVID-19, I decided to put my name on the list for the Dutch Parliament. At the time, I thought it would just be a nice memory for the history books. I never actually expected to take a seat there. But thanks to our party's massive election win, I ended up sitting in one of those famous blue seats in Parliament after all. I was given the portfolio for Kingdom Relations. Some people think that is a favorite topic just because of the trips abroad. But even though I started as a complete newcomer to the subject, I threw myself into learning all about our islands on the other side of the ocean. Driven as I am, I worked hard to become one of the best-informed and most involved spokespersons on Kingdom Relations. At times, maybe I was even a bit too driven for my own party's liking.
It turned out to be the start of a fantastic adventure. Once you take the islands and their people into your heart, you can never let them go. That is why, after my time in Parliament, I want to share my knowledge and experience in a politically neutral way with anyone who is interested, at schools, universities, or cultural organizations.
⁕ If you spot any mistakes or errors on this website, please let me know.
⁕ Anyone who wants to help give the Caribbean parts of our Kingdom the attention they deserve here in the Netherlands is more than welcome to join in.