Speaker Information

Opening Session

Kajsa Ollongren

  • EU Special Representative for Human Rights

Congratulatory Remarks

Kajsa Ollongren served as Minister of Defence (2022–2024) and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (2017-2022) of the Netherlands. Kajsa Ollongren started her career in the civil service in 1992 at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs as an economic policy advisor. On a voluntary basis, she trained young politicians from the newly established democracies of Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s. She was head of parliamentary affairs within the ministry until 2001, and director of European Integration and Strategy from 2001 to 2004 and became Deputy Director General in 2004.

In 2007 she was promoted to the Prime Minister’s Office, to become the Deputy Secretary General and in 2011 Secretary General and the most senior advisor to the Prime Minister. In that capacity she was also responsible for the coordination of the Dutch intelligence services.

After the 2014 local elections Kajsa Ollongren became the first deputy mayor of Amsterdam. Her portfolio included economic affairs, seaport, airport, art, culture, local media, monuments and tourism. On 26 October 2017, Kajsa Ollongren was appointed as the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. She was also Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte government. From 10 January 2022 to 2 July 2024, Kajsa Ollongren was the Minister of Defence in the fourth and last Dutch government headed by Mark Rutte.

Kajsa Ollongren studied history at the University of Amsterdam and graduated in contemporary history in 1992. She is an alumna of the Dutch institute on international affairs Clingendael and of the French school for Public administration École Nationale d’Administration (ENA), Promotion Valmy 1996-1998. She completed “The Business of AI” course at the London Business School in 2025. She is a reservist in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, with the rank of Colonel.

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