Ilona Lagas

In this Dutch name, the birth surname is Meijer and the marital name is Lagas.

Ilona Lagas
Leader of the Farmer–Citizen Movement
in the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 June 2023
Member of the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 June 2023
Parliamentary groupFarmer–Citizen Movement
Alderwoman of Ommen
In office
17 July 2017 – 2018 (acting)
Serving with Theo Katerberg
Preceded byHans ter Keurst
In office
6 April 2006 – 27 May 2014
Personal details
Born
Ilona Maria Meijer

(1956-01-31) 31 January 1956 (age 68)
Zwolle, Netherlands
Political partyFarmer–Citizen Movement (since 2021)
Other political
affiliations		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (until 2021)
SpouseAd Lagas
Residence(s)Vinkenbuurt, Netherlands
Occupation

Ilona Maria Lagas-Meijer (Dutch: [iˈloːnaː laːˌɣɑs ˈmɛiər]; born 31 January 1956)[1] is a Dutch politician of the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB). She participated in the 2023 Senate election as the Farmer–Citizen Movement's lead candidate, and became the party's parliamentary leader in the Senate. Lagas joined the Farmer–Citizen Movement in 2021 after leaving the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), for which she previously served as a municipal councillor and alderwoman.

Biography

Lagas was born on 31 January 1956 in Zwolle, Overijssel.[1] After working in a hospital laboratory for eleven years, she became a teacher in German and civics at a college for vocational education (MBO) in 1985.[2] She later joined the management of the college's programme in international trade.[2] Since 2014, she has been a self-employed government consultant.[2][3]

Political career

A member of the VVD, Lagas was elected into the municipal council of Nieuwleusen in 1990.[2][3] She was re-elected in the 1994 municipal election, but left the council in 1995 when she moved out of the municipality.[3] From 1998, she served as a member of the municipal council of Ommen, until she joined the municipal executive on 6 April 2006.[4] Her portfolio as an alderwoman included spatial planning, environment and economic affairs.[3]

In 2011, Lagas survived a motion of no confidence after a municipal construction project had resulted in a loss of €28.5 million.[2][5] She was re-elected into the municipal council in the 2014 election, and left the municipal executive on 27 May 2014.[6][7] From 2017 to 2018, she briefly served as a part-time alderwoman while one of the municipality's aldermen was on sick leave.[8][9] Lagas left local politics in 2020.[10]

In 2021, Lagas left the VVD, as she felt that the party no longer represented the interests of the countryside.[2] The fourth Rutte cabinet's policy to reduce agricultural nitrogen pollution by 50% before 2030 contributed to her decision to leave the party.[2] Lagas subsequently joined the Farmer–Citizen Movement. She was elected into the Provincial Council of Overijssel in the 2023 provincial elections, but did not accept her seat due to her scheduled participation in the 2023 Senate election as the Farmer–Citizen Movement's lead candidate.[11] After the election, she became the party's parliamentary leader in the Senate.[12]

Personal life

Lagas resides in Vinkenbuurt, Overijssel.[3] She is married to Ad Lagas, with whom she has a son and a daughter.[2] Her husband is the founder of a classical liberal faction within the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.[2] He later also defected to the Farmer–Citizen Movement.[2] Her daughter, Marijke Lagas, is a cystic fibrosis patient, who successfully advocated for health insurance coverage of treatment with lumacaftor/ivacaftor in the Netherlands.[2][13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Akte van oprichting van Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio" (PDF). 3 September 2012 (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hofs, Yvonne (9 February 2023). "Flapuit met poten in Vechtdal-klei wordt BBB-leider in Eerste Kamer". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Ilona Lagas". BoerBurgerBeweging (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Hulsink, Lagas en Geurs worden wethouder". De Stentor (in Dutch). 1 April 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Wethouders Ommen kunnen blijven zitten". RTV Oost (in Dutch). 16 December 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Wethouder Lagas is voortaan liever raadslid in Ommen". RTV Oost (in Dutch). 9 May 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Uitnodiging Afscheid wethouder Ilona Lagas 27 mei 2014". Gemeente Ommen. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Ilona Lagas en Theo Katerberg waarnemend wethouders voor Hans ter Keurst". RTV Oost (in Dutch). 5 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  9. ^ Veltmaat, Sandra (5 July 2017). "Zieke wethouder Ommen krijgt twee tijdelijke vervangers" (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  10. ^ Koerhuis, Benny (16 December 2019). "Ilona Lagas stopt als raadslid VVD Ommen en wordt waakhond van het regionaal openbaar onderwijs". De Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  11. ^ "BoerBurgerBeweging laat door winst 'gaten' vallen in provincies". Noordhollands Dagblad (in Dutch). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  12. ^ Wier, Marten van de (16 March 2023). "Ex-VVD-wethouder en conflictoplosser Ilona Lagas (67) wordt boegbeeld BBB in de Eerste Kamer". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  13. ^ Koolen, André (26 October 2017). "Haagse Marijke (30) blij met middel tegen taaislijmziekte: 'Ik kan nu 80 worden!'". Omroep West (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 April 2023.