Bonne Zijlstra

His Excellency Bonne Zijlstra
Zijlstra in 2020
Co-Deputy Premier of Alsland
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 January 2021 Serving with Vivienne Newman
Prime Minister	Ottila Möller
Preceded by	Jochen Scheffler Jolke Dekker
1st President of the Euclean Community
In office 1 December 2007 – 30 November 2012
Succeeded by	Alexandre Lévesque
Premier of Alsland
In office 26 April 2000 – 15 June 2004
President	Drewes Brandsma
Deputy	Martina Scott Erika Kellner
Preceded by	Adalbrecht Brötzmann
Succeeded by	Martina Scott
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office 4 May 1995 – 30 December 1999
Prime Minister	Adalbrecht Brötzmann
Preceded by	Olrik Rijpstra
Succeeded by	Jappichje Nicolai
Leader of the Social Democrats in Delland
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 December 2020
Preceded by	Addik Kuiken
In office 4 May 1994 – 15 June 2004
Preceded by	Seine De Haan
Succeeded by	Sjoerd De Ruiter
Member of Folkssenaat
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 April 2014
Constituency	Middewald
In office 4 May 1988 – 15 June 2004
Constituency	Middewald
Personal details
Born	(1960-01-11) January 11, 1960 Yndyk
Nationality	Alsland
Political party	Social Democrats in Delland
Domestic partner	Sanderke Zijlstra
Children	1
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Bonne Zijlstra (Born January 11, 1960) is an Alslandic politician who served as President of the Euclean Community from 2007 to 2012 and served as Premier of Alsland from 2000 to 2004. Zijlstra was elected as President in 2007 following the Treaty of Maredoux which established the role of the President of the Euclean Community. Zijlstra was the first person to serve as the President of the Euclean Community following the Treaty of Maredoux.

Zijlstra perviously served as Premier of Alsland from 2000 to 2004. He became Premier following the Progressive Alliance's landslide victory in the 2000 Legislative Election. He resigned from his position following a car accident which killed his son. He also resigned from the Folkssenaat and as leader of the SDyD.

In 2007 Zijlstra was elected as the first President of the Euclean Community following the Treaty of Maredoux. (Insert info on Zijlstra's Presidency).

After stepping back from Euclean politics, Zijlstra later won reelection in 2015 as a member of the Folkssenaat.

Early Life

Bonne Zijlstra was born on January 11 1960 in Yndyk to Tsjimke Zijlstra (1921-1998), a Senator from Middewald and Haakje Zijlstra (1930-2009). His father was a prominent member of the Conservative Party and served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, a position Bonne would later serve in, from 1970 to 1975. Bonne attended a private boarding school in Hamptonshire for much of his childhood. His parents divorced in 1975 and Bonne's mother was given full custody of him in 1976. After failing to be admitted to Yndyk Military academy due to his Anaemia Bonne enrolled at the University of Wottested in 1978 and graduated with a degree in History and Politics. During his final year at University, Bonne and another student was stabbed in the shoulder whilst leaving a party during a failed robbery. When speaking about the stabbing later in life Zijlstra said he nearly bled out before being taken to hospital. Bonne also admitted to taking recreational Cannabis and having a brief sexual relationship with a fellow male student during his time at Wottested.

Bonne originally was influenced by his father to join the Conservative Party and run for office but he later joined the Social Democrats in Delland. Zijlstra worked for the National Transport Workers Union before entering politics.

Early Political Career

In the 1988 legislative election, Bonne won a seat in Middewald as part of a wider pushback against the governing National Bloc. Upon his election he allied himself with Adalbrecht Brötzmann and had a close relationship during their time in opposition. During an interview in 1990 Zijlstra said he would jump in front of a bus for Brötzmann.

In 1990 Zijlstra was appointed as the Progressive Alliance's spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Euclea. He was also appointed to the Folkssenaat committee on foreign affairs during this time.

After the Progressive Alliance's landslide victory in 1991, Zijlstra was expected to gain a senior cabinet position despite his relatively short tenure as a Senator, in the end he reportedly turned down a position as Co-Deputy Premier and Secretary of Defence. Zijlstra later claimed that he was more use to Brötzmann in the Folkssenaat than in the cabinet.

In 1994, the leader of the Social Democrats in Delland Seine De Haan was forced to resign after bribery accusations. Zijlstra was the first candidate to be nominated and received support from Brötzmann and other high ranking officials, he was able to win a majority of votes from SDyD Senators in the first round and became the leader of the party.

Foreign Secretary of Alsland

Foreign Secretary Bonne Zijlstra on a state visit to Soravia in 1997.

In 1995, Zijlstra was appointed as Foreign Secretary following the death of his predecessor Olrik Rijpstra from a heart attack. Throughout his tenure Zijlstra advocated for greater EC cooperation on foreign affairs. During his time as Foreign Secretary Zijlstra made state visits to Azmara, Borland, Caldia, Estmere, Gaullica, Geatland, Hennehouwe, Kesselbourg, Kirenia, Senria, Soravia and Werania.

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Zijlstra resigned in April 1999 following a disagreement with him and Brötzmann over foreign policy issues. It was later revealed that Brötzmann and Zijlstra's relationship had deteriorated to an unworkable level and Zijlstra was urged to stand down for his own benefit. In 1999 Brötzmann admitted to bullying and harassing Zijlstra between 1996 and 1999. Due to unrelated reasons Brötzmann decided against seeking a fourth term as Premier and Zijlstra was chosen as the Progressive Alliance's candidate for Premier.

Premier of Alsland

Zijlstra became Premier on 26 April 2000 following the 2000 Legislative Election where he led the Progressive Alliance to a landslide victory and an overall majority in the Folkssenaat.

Domestic policy

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Foreign policy

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Resignation

Zijlstra was injured and his son was killed in a car accident preceding his resignation

On 13 June 2004 at 17:53, Zijlstra and his son Tsjakke along with a security officer and a driver were exiting the Folkssenaat building and travelling towards the Kerstplak when a Yndyk Public bus crashed into their car. The car then partially flipped onto it's left side. The bus then crashed into a tree although nobody on the bus was hurt. Zijlstra's right leg was broken and his son was severely injured. The driver of the car and Zijlstra's Security officer were also both injured.

Pedestrians on the Kerstplak were the first to reach the car and help pull Zijlstra from the wreck. Zijlstra's police escort stopped all traffic on the Kerstplak and rumours were spread that the crash was an assassination attempt on Zijlstra. Passengers on the bus were escorted away and questioned by police about 10 minutes after the crash. Zijlstra's son Tsjakke who had been sitting on the right side of the car next to the impact site following the impact was unable to be freed from the damaged car and had to be cut out which took nearly 4 hours. Tsjakke was cut out of the car at 21:37 and was pronounced dead shortly after this.

Zijlstra was taken to Siemen Hartmann memorial Hospital where he was discharged the next day. The head of Yndyk Metropolitan Police confirmed on the next day that the crash was not an attempted assassination. Zijlstra informed Martina Scott and members of the SDyD that he would be resign on the 15th. At 3pm the next day an aide to Zijlstra confirmed that he would be resigning on the 15th to the Press.

Zijlstra officially resigned on the 15th and was succeeded by Martina Scott. Zijlstra and his family returned to their home in Middewald and Tsjakke's funeral was held on the 20th of June.

An investigation into the crash later found that there were serious design flaws with the exit onto the Kerstplak which created a blind spot. The exit was closed and rebuilt in 2005. The investigation also cleared the driver of the bus of any wrongdoing after reviewing security footage of the crash which showed their attempt to swerve to avoid the car.

Zijlstra had fully recovered by December but said he would not be running in the 2006 Legislative Election. Zijlstra following his premiership became more involved in Euclean politics.

President of the Euclean Community

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Return to Alslandic Politics

Senator

In the run up to the 2014 General Election, Zijlstra announced he would be seeking to stand in the election for the SDyD in Middewald, his announcement was met with some scepticism from SDyD members and opposition from moderate figures within the party including Addik Kuiken who would later become the party's leader. Zijlstra was selected as a candidate and won a seat in the Folkssenaat.

Shortly after his election into the Folkssenaat Zijlstra issued an apology to members of the LGBT community for his government's actions regarding conversion therapy and marriage equality, his apology coincided with a Folkssenaat inquiry into homophobia under Aarnd Hellinga's government. The LGBT+ rights group Gjin ferskil called his apology "insincere" and urged him to prove that he had changed his views on the subject. Since his re-election to the Folkssenaat Zijlstra has sponsored several bills to support the LGBT+ community.

In 2017 Zijlstra along with SDyD environment spokesperson Dieuwke Dykstra had green paint thrown over them whilst meeting in a cafe in Yndyk by a group of student climate activists. Zijlstra in a statement after the incident called the protesters: "a group of rebellious teens with no goal other than chaos." Zijlstra refused to apologise after Greens and Socialist leader Bene Feitsma accused him of disregarding Alsland's climate crisis.

Political positions

LGBT rights

Zijlstra's government was criticised by LGBT activists for breaking their 2000 Legislative election promise of civil unions for Same-Sex couples and for failing to ban conversion therapy. Civil unions were introduced for same-sex couples and heterosexual couples following the 2003 legislative election. An attempt by the government was made to ban conversion therapy shortly before Zijlstra's resignation but the bill went nowhere and wasn't picked up by Zijlstra's successors.

Zijlstra was a speaker at an event at Yndyk pride in 2013 where he expressed his 'overwhelming support for the LGBT community'. During his brief speech he expressed his desire to achieve marriage equality across the EC as soon as possible.

In 2018 Zijlstra admitted to having a brief sexual relationship with a fellow male student when he was attending the University of Wottested. Zijlstra did clarify he was heterosexual but said at that time he was questioning his sexuality. The student in question later came forward and confirmed the story but their identity remained publicly anonymous on their request.

Personal life

In 1989 Zijlstra married Sanderke Lautenbach and they later gave birth to their first son, Tsjakke, the next year. In 2001 Sanderke gave birth to a daughter, Aafkje. Both Zijlstra and Aafkje are anaemic.