Drs. J.M. (Jan Marinus) Wiersma

Jan Marinus Wiersma (1951) is a researcher and has published, amongst others, on the field of EU-enlargement and Europe-US relations. Mr. Wiersma served as a member of European Parliament for the Dutch Labour Party for fifteen years. As MEP his areas of expertise were international relations and international security. As MEP mr. Wiersma was prolific on aid to and the accession of central and eastern European countries.

1. Personal data

Name and surname

Jan Marinus Wiersma

Date of birth

August 26th 1951

Place of birth

Groningen (The Netherlands)

Selected honours and distinctions

Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, September 8th 2009

2. Education

Secondary school

Gymnasium-a in Groningen to 1971

Academic

History, University of Groningen to 1978

3. Political Affiliation

PvdA (Dutch Labour Party)

4. Career

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staff-member of the PvdA parliamentary-group (Defence, Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Campaign Support), 1978 to 1987
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international secretary of the PvdA, 1987 to 1999
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member of European Parliament, 1994 to 2009
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researcher, Wiardi Beckman Foundation, since September 2010
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senior visiting fellow, Clingendael, since May 2011

5. Selected additional functions

Current

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treasurer and vice president European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity, since November 2005
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chairman SPOLU (International Foundation for Roma Initiatives, since 2006
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board member Istanbul Centre in Brussels, since 2007
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chairman of the advisory council International Business College Mitrovica, since November 2009

Past

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chairman of the board Europese Beweging Nederland (European Movement, Dutch branch)

6. Selected political achievements

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rapporteur on several reports on the PHARE-programmes (aid to prospective EU member states in central and eastern Europe)
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rapporteur on the accession of Slovakia to the European Union

7. Selected publications

Publications

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"Spionage In Het Hoogste Echelon - het ware verhaal over Echelon en wereldwijd afluisteren " (co-author book, October 2001)
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"Brussel - Warschau - Kiev. Op zoek naar de grenzen van de Europese Unie" (book, December 2000, with Joost Lagendijk)
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"Na Mars komt Venus. Een Europees antwoord op Bush" (book, May 2004, with Joost Lagendijk)
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"Sturen bij de Moslimburen. Hoe Europa de democratie kan bevorderen" (book, November 2007, with Joost Lagendijk)
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"Democracy, Populism and Minority Rights" (co-editor book, 2008)
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"Politics of the Past: The use and Abuse of History" (co-editor book, 2009)
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"EU enlargement anno 2012. A progressive engagement" (co-editor book, 2012)
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"De politiek van de Euro - biografie van een kwetsbare munt" (co-editor book, March 2013)