Henk Vermeer

Biography

“Do not stare blindly at the horizon, but take a look around you.”

Before becoming official secretary of the BBB group in 2021, I was active in municipal politics. As chairman of a football club, I was in close contact with the municipal council, where I ran into a local party.

Recently, I have been incredibly busy building the party across the country. I thrive in high-pressure situations and love having a lot on my plate. As an MP, I will be closer to the country’s political nerve centre, where we will now be able to pursue our party’s ideals with a bigger team.

Looking ahead

I am a connector, full of positive energy, and I look forward to doing my bit in Dutch politics. Finding solutions to problems is more important to me than figuring out how problems arose in the first place. My parents always taught me to keep moving rather than dwelling on the past, which probably made me the action-oriented person I am today.

Communication

The government should serve the people, not the other way around. It is a matter of trust: all layers of government should represent the people’s best interests and cooperate to find solutions. My background in marketing and communications has taught me the importance of communication, which too many politicians still underestimate. As an amateur referee, I know all too well how good communication is key when you are forced to make difficult decisions.

An athlete and a ref

Time and time again, I tell myself that my next career move will improve my work-life balance. My wife has stopped believing me and history has proven her right so far. With such a sedentary profession, it’s essential for my back that I get some exercise every week. The thing am most looking forward to is refereeing football matches on Saturdays and taking up singing lessons again.