Erik Meijer (politician)

Erik Meijer (born on 5 December 1944 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament with the Socialistische Partij, part of the European Left and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism.

He is a substitute for the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a member of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Biography
In 1999 European Parliament elections Meijer won the first seat for the SP in the European Parliament.

Born in 1944, Erik, who lives in Rotterdam, studied social geography and later taught geography before becoming a civil servant. Politically active since the beginning of the 1960s, including as an executive member of Socialist Youth (SJ), in the `70s he was elected to represent the Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP) on Amsterdam City Council. During this period he led the Proletarian Left within the PSP, which later split to form what now is Socialist Alternative Politics. Meijer stayed within the PSP. From 1982 to 1995 he served as a Provincial Councillor in South Holland, having been elected on a combined PSP-Communist-Radical Party ticket. Following the formation of the Green Left, which united these tendencies, he became the party’s national vice-chair, a position which he held until 1995.

At the beginning of 1996, Erik Meijer left Green Left for the SP. In 1998 he became chair of the SP branch in Delfshaven, Rotterdam’s poorest district, where he lives, at the same time working to build up the party’s European contacts.

In the European Parliament the SP forms part of the United Left Group (GUE-NGL). The party’s priority is resistance to the development of a European superstate too far removed from the people and too closely attached to the interests of European multinationals.

In the European elections of 10th June, 2004, the SP’s electoral support grew from 5% to 7%, giving the party a second seat. Re-elected, Erik Meijer was joined by Kartika Liotard.

His comments in the Skopje daily Utrinski Vesnik on 14 January 2008 drew the ire of readers in the Republic of Macedonia. He said that the country should tear down statues of the ancient Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great erected on its territory and agree to a name change in its bilateral dispute with Greece.

Education

 * 1972: Higher degree in social geography

Career

 * 1971-1975: Geography teacher, senior secondary and pre-university education
 * 1980-1992: Local government official, Rotterdam City Council
 * 1968-1991: Has held office at national level in the PSP (Pacifist Socialist Party) (Vice-chairman of the Chairman of elected representatives' section, editor of party magazine)
 * 1992-1995: Member of executive and Vice-Chairman of the GroenLinks
 * since 1999: Member of Socialist Party executive
 * 1975-1978: Member of Amsterdam City Council
 * 1998-2002: Member of the Delfshaven District Council
 * 1982-1995: Member of the South Holland Provincial Council
 * since 1999: Member of the European Parliament
 * 1961-1969: Member of executive, Socialist Youth and Student Organisations
 * 1990-1993: Member of executive, Citizenship Foundation
 * 1995-1998: Chairman of the Spangen (Rotterdam) Residents' Association
 * 1995-1999: Chairman of the Stichting Ontwikkelbank Centrum (Foundation for the Promotion of Central Rotterdam)

See also: European Parliament election, 2004 (Netherlands)