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Frank Wassenberg
Frank Wassenberg
	Frank Wassenberg (2017)
Member of the House of Representatives
	In office; 23 March 2017 – 5 December 2023
	In office; 17 November 2015 – 18 October 2016
Member of the States of Limburg
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 26 March 2015
	In office; 15 March 2007 – 11 March 2011
Personal details
Born	2 May 1966 (age 58); Heer, Netherlands
Political party	Party for the Animals
Alma mater	Utrecht University

Frank P. Wassenberg (born 2 May 1966) is a Dutch politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Party for the Animals between November 2016 and October 2017 and between March 2017 and December 2023. He was the temporary replacement Esther Ouwehand in the former. He serves in the States of Limburg since the 2015 elections, and previously served between 2007 and 2011.

Career

Wassenberg was born on 2 May 1966 in Heer, Maastricht. After completing his high school education in Maastricht in 1985 he went to study biology at Utrecht University and graduated in 1992.^[1] Since 1993 he has worked as a policy officer for various foundations for animal rights, since 2006 for the Koningin Sophia-Vereeniging tot Bescherming van Dieren [nl].^[1]

Wassenberg was elected to the States of Limburg for the Party for the Animals in the 2007 elections. He served one four-year term. In the 2011 elections the party did not manage to obtain any seats. In the 2015 elections Wassenberg was once more elected to the States, as the sole representative of the party.^[2]

In November 2015 Esther Ouwehand temporarily resigned her seat in the House of Representatives for health reasons. Wassenberg became her replacement with an expected term of four months.^[3] He has been reappointed multiple times since the passing of the first four months.^[4]

In September 2016, Wassenberg missed a vote on a bill to reform Holland’s organ-donor system. The bill provided that, if a person does not specify “yes” or “no” on the form to donate organs upon one’s death, s/he will be registered as making “no objection” to organ donation; one could still change the “no objection” status later. If one remains registered as “no objection” at the time of death, the organs become available for donation — unless one’s close family member objects. The bill passed Holland’s lower house of parliament by a vote of 75 to 74.^[5]

Wassenberg had planned to vote against the bill: Although he and his party considered it “terribly important” for the country’s health services to attract more organ donors, he felt the bill encroached on people’s freedom of choice regarding their own bodies. Wassenberg admitted an “incredibly stupid mistake” in missing the vote: “I had an appointment outside The Hague, and then something went wrong with the timetable. The group tried to reach me, but I had my phone turned off during the conversation.”^[6]

Esther Ouwehand returned to the House of Representatives on 18 October 2016, ending Wassenberg's temporary replacement.^[1]^[7]

After the 2017 general election Wassenberg returned to the House, taking office on 23 March 2017.^[1]^[8] He lost his bid for re-election in November 2023, and his term ended on 5 December. Wassenberg ran for the European Parliament as his party's second candidate in June 2024, but his party secured only one seat.^[9]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Frank Wassenberg
Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Result		Ref.
Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Party seats	Individual	Ref.
2010	House of Representatives		Party for the Animals	4	1,889	2	Lost	^[10]
2012	House of Representatives		Party for the Animals	3	2,677	2	Lost^[a]	^[11]
2017	House of Representatives		Party for the Animals	4	2,773	5	Won	^[12]
2021	House of Representatives		Party for the Animals	4	7,128	6	Won	^[13]
2023	House of Representatives		Party for the Animals	4	3,618	3	Lost	^[14]
2024	European Parliament		Party for the Animals	2	11,246	1	Lost	^[9]

Notes

^ Wassenberg was appointed to the body later during the term due to a vacancy.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Drs. F.P. (Frank) Wassenberg". Parlement.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
^ Jean van Hoof (17 November 2015). "Frank Wassenberg geïnstalleerd als Tweede Kamerlid" (in Dutch). 1Limburg. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
^ "Frank Wassenberg begint aan pittige klus voor 4 maanden" (in Dutch). L1. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
^ "Benoeming F.P. Wassenberg tot lid van de Tweede Kamer" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
^ “New organ donor law voted in due to MP’s tardiness” by Eerste Kamer. NL Times, 14 September 2016.
^ Edwin van der Aa (13 September 2016). "Donorwet aangenomen na 'enorme blunder' van Kamerlid". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 October 2016.
^ "Ouwehand (PvdD) terug in Tweede Kamer" (in Dutch). de Telegraaf. 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
^ "Achtergrond: 71 vertrekkers, maar 58 nieuwkomers" (in Dutch). Parlement.com. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Proces-verbaal centraal stembureau uitslag verkiezing Europees Parlement Model P22-1" [Central electoral council report of the results of the election of the European Parliament Model P22-1] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 19 June 2024. pp. 19–20, 41. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2010" [Results 2010 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 16 June 2010. pp. 44–45. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2012" [Results 2012 general election] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 17 September 2012. pp. 96–97. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2017 (getekend exemplaar)" [Results House of Representatives 2017 (signed example)] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 21 March 2017. pp. 128–129. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
^ "Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 135–136. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
^ "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. 105–106. Retrieved 21 December 2023.