Joost Eerdmans | |
|---|---|
 Eerdmans in 2021 | |
| Leader of JA21 | |
| Assumed office 18 December 2020 | |
| Deputy | Annabel Nanninga |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 31 March 2021 | |
| In office 25 September 2006 – 30 November 2006 | |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 31 March 2021 | |
| In office 23 May 2002 – 30 November 2006 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bernard Johannes Eerdmans (1971-01-09)9 January 1971 (age 54) |
| Political party | JA21 (since 2020) Livable Rotterdam (since 2013) |
| Other political affiliations | CDA (1996–2002) LPF (2002–2004) Independent (2004–2006) One NL (2006) FvD (until 2020) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Rotterdam |
| Alma mater | Erasmus University Rotterdam(MPA) Indiana University(MPA) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Bernard Johannes "Joost"Eerdmans (born 9 January 1971) is a Dutch politician and former broadcaster, journalist and civil servant who has ledJA21 since 18 December 2020, a party he co-founded withAnnabel Nanninga following their departure fromForum for Democracy (FvD). Elected to theHouse of Representatives in the2021 general election, he took office on 31 March 2021. Eerdmans had previously served as a member of the House of Representatives from 23 May 2002 until 30 November 2006 for thePim Fortuyn List (LPF) and as anIndependent.
Bernard Johannes Eerdmans was born on 9 January 1971 inHarderwijk in the province ofGelderland in aReformed family. He graduated at theChristelijk College Nassau-Veluwe. After that, Eerdmans studiedManagement Science at theErasmus Universiteit inRotterdam. In 1995 he received his master's degree, having undertaken postgraduate studies at the Public administration School for Public and Environmental Affairs atIndiana University inBloomington, Indiana, in 1993. He is the cousin of Dutch author and game show host Theo Eerdmans.
After graduating, Eerdmans worked for some time on projects for theChristian Democratic Appeal faction in the Dutch House of Representatives. He was then employed as acivil servant at theMinistry of Justice from 1997 until 1999 and was a staff member to the Director General of the law enforcement department at the Ministry of Justice. In 1999 he became a private secretary toIvo Opstelten, the Mayor ofRotterdam. After first losing his seat in parliament in 2006, Eerdmans worked in the private sector as a public affairs manager forDeloitte from 2007 to 2009. He was also involved in foundingFUTUR an organization of young civil servants.[1]
Eerdmans first joined the Christian Democratic Appeal but left after disagreeing the CDA's course and saying in his own words "I thought they spoke a different language. I started to dislike it more and more." A week after leaving theLiveable Netherlands party in 2002, Eerdmans contactedPim Fortuyn, who at that time was busy assembling a list of candidates for his new political party, thePim Fortuyn List (LPF). Eerdmans was placed nineteenth on the list and after the2002 election he became a member of theHouse of Representatives, while his party joined theFirst Balkenende cabinet. Eerdmans focused on matters related to justice and police. Together with thenPvdA MPAleid Wolfsen, he submitted a bill to punish animal cruelty more severely and argued for increasing minimum sentencing for violent crimes. In 2005, Eerdmans was awarded theThorbecke Prize fromLeiden University which is awarded to the "most eloquent politician."[2][3]
After the fall of the cabinet,new elections were called. This time the LPF won only eight seats, but since Eerdmans was second on the list he remained in Parliament. He was removed from the party's parliamentary faction after it was definitively announced that Eerdmans would be on the One NL candidate list for the2006 election.
For the 2006 general election, Eerdmans split with the LPF to form a new political party calledOne NL withMarco Pastors ofLeefbaar Rotterdam. After the dismal result of One NL in the 2006 election, Eerdmans left Dutch politics and worked in business before forging a career as a television and radio broadcaster.
Eerdmans made a return to local politics when he was electedlijsttrekker of Leefbaar Rotterdam on 6 October 2013.[4] In thelocal elections of 2014 Leefbaar Rotterdam became the biggest party in Rotterdam, meaning the party would get the chance to lead the formation of a new coalition. The party subsequently formed a coalition with theDemocrats 66 (D66) andChristian Democratic Appeal (CDA), in which Eerdmans became analderman.[5]
Eerdmans worked with theForum for Democracy during the2018 Dutch municipal elections. For the2021 general election, Eerdmans announced a return to national politics and was to be fourth on the party list of FvD led byThierry Baudet. However, before this could be effectuated Eerdmans quit the party soon after the announcement, citing what he saw as the FvD's insufficient handling of antisemitism, homophobia and racism scandals from other party members.[6]
After leaving the Forum for Democracy, Joost Eerdmans founded a new political party,JA21 (Right Answer 2021), together with other former FvD members to contest the 2021 general election. Eerdmans stated that he sought to reviveFortuynism in Dutch politics and said JA21 would follow the original founding ideas of the FvD.[7] He described JA21 as a "a broad people's party on the right" and a "common sense" right-wing party positioned to attract voters who considered the VVD too centrist, the PVV too harsh in tone, and the Forum for Democracy as having become directionless.[8] Eerdmans became the party’s leader andlijsttrekker.
In the 2021 election, JA21 won three seats in the House of Representatives, returning Eerdmans to the House of Representatives for the first time since 2006. During the2023 Dutch general election JA21 fell to one seat with Eerdmans being the only JA21 MP to return. In September 2024, the House passed a motion by Eerdmans andChris Stoffer (SGP) to prohibit face coverings during protests, intended to aid police in identifying individuals committing offenses, citing the2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the Netherlands as an example.[9]
The House later approved another motion by Eerdmans requesting that the government revoke thecharitable status of the environmental groupExtinction Rebellion, arguing that the organization’s activities were unlawful and disruptive.[10]
When theSchoof cabinet introduced its2025 budget proposal, which included €2 billion in education cuts, Eerdmans collaborated with other centrist and conservative opposition parties in what he referred to as an "unholy alliance". In December 2024, the coalition agreed to reverse €750 million of the planned cuts to secureSenate support. Eerdmans declined to endorse the revised budget. JA21 saw its strongest result to date during the2025 Dutch general election.[11][12]
Eerdmans identifies himself as a proponent ofFortuynism. His political positions include opposition toimmigration,multiculturalism, and theEuropean Union, as well as criticism of what he describes as excessive bureaucracy in the state sector.[13] He advocates forstricter law enforcement, a more right-wing approach to climate policy, and a significant reduction in the powers of the EU, including an end to financial transfers from Northern to Southern European member states.[14]
Eerdmans has stated that the Netherlands should adopt an immigration policy requiring newcomers to uphold "Dutch values", and he has expressed approval of Denmark’s immigration model. He has also criticized what he refers to as the "woke movement" in the Netherlands and has accused parties such asDenk,NIDA, and those associated withSylvana Simons of underminingWesternculture.[15][16]
Eerdmans has said that politicians have an exemplary role and should avoid personal attacks, stating: "Those who throw mud will end up with dirty hands. I am respectful and never hit people below the belt in politics. If you do, you are sidelining yourself. Fortuyn was also a compromise-oriented macher. You should not sell your heart and soul for the plush seats, but if you get the chance to realize your ideals, then it is your duty of honor to do so for your voters."[17][18]
Eerdmans was a television host on the Dutch channelHet Gesprek and has been a columnist for the websiteGeenStijl. He was also one of the hosts of the Dutch programmeTROS Regelrecht and was a presenter on theBNR Newsradio showPeptalk in 2010. He then presented theNPO Radio 1 discussion showEvening Rush Hour from 2010 and 2013. He has made appearances as a panelist on the political satire showDit Was Het Nieuws (This Was The News) based on the BBC programmeHave I Got News For You.[19] In 2025, he participated with other Dutch celebrities in theEO reality documentary showHell or Hotel in which he volunteered to spent two nights as an inmate in a high security jail as part of a discussion on the Dutch justice and prison systems.[20] He also serves on the panel for the annualPim Fortuyn Prize which is awarded to politicians, commentators or public figures who best convey the ideas of Pim Fortuyn.
Eerdmans is married to Femke Bouka since 2006. He was raised in theDutch Reformed Church, but later lost his faith and became anatheist; despite this, he and his wife, who is also an atheist, married in church.[21]
 |
| Year | Body | Party | Pos. | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party seats | Individual | |||||||
| 2002 | House of Representatives | Pim Fortuyn List | 19 | 701 | 26 | Won | [22] | |
| 2003 | House of Representatives | Pim Fortuyn List | 2 | 6,918 | 8 | Won | [23] | |
| 2006 | House of Representatives | One NL | 2 | 7,046 | 0 | Lost | [24] | |
| 2010 | Capelle aan den IJsselMunicipal Council | Livable Capelle | [a] | 1,029 | 9 | Won[b] | ||
| 2014 | Rotterdam Municipal Council | Livable Rotterdam | 1 | 44,979 | 14 | Won | ||
| 2018 | Rotterdam Municipal Council | Livable Rotterdam | 1 | 11 | Won | |||
| 2021 | House of Representatives | JA21 | 1 | 197,637 | 3 | Won | [25] | |
| 2022 | Rotterdam Municipal Council | Livable Rotterdam | 49[a] | 1,975 | 10 | Won[b] | [26] | |
| 2023 | House of Representatives | JA21 | 1 | 53,675 | 1 | Won | [27] | |
| 2024 | European Parliament | JA21 | 15[a] | 5,994 | 0 | Lost | [28] | |
| 2025 | House of Representatives | JA21 | 1 | 420,505 | 9 | Won | [29] | |
| International | |
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| National | |
