Kajsa Ollongren Joins the Board of Yalta European Strategy (YES)

09 September 2024

Yalta European Strategy (YES) is pleased to announce that Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands (2022–2024), has joined the YES Board.

An experienced politician, Kajsa Ollongren was the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands from January 2022 till July 2024. In 2017–2022, she held the position of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands and Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte cabinet.

She was deputy Major of Amsterdam between 2014 and 2017, after a career in the civil service. 

Kajsa Ollongren held the post of a Secretary General of the Prime Ministers and Cabinet Office, Ministry of General Affairs, The Hague (in 2011–2014). From 1996 to 2007, she held various top positions at the Ministry of Economic Affairs before switching to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2007 as deputy Secretary General.

The YES Board is chaired by Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland (1995-2005), and consists of the following members: Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden (2006-2014), Prime Minister of Sweden (1991-1994);  Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia (2016-2021); Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland (2019–2023); Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Founder of Rasmussen Global, Secretary General of NATO (2009-2014), Prime Minister of Denmark (2001-2009); Stephane Fouks, Vice President of Havas Group, Executive Co-Chairman of Havas Worldwide; Wolfgang Ischinger, Ambassador (ret.), President, MSC Foundation Council; Senior Fellow, Hertie School of Governance, (Berlin); and Victor Pinchuk, Founder and Member of the Board, YES and Founder of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and EastOne group.

Back to news list
Timothy Snyder
Timothy Snyder
Richard C. Levin Professor of History, Yale University, YES Annual Meeting, 2023
«We have to be realistic, the only way to end this war is to win it militarily»