Bonne Zijlstra

Bonne Zijlstra MEP
Zijlstra in 2013
Member of the Euclean Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 July 2004
Constituency	Delland
President of the Euclean Community
In office 1 December 2007 – 30 November 2012
Succeeded by	Alexandre Lévesque
President of Alsland
In office 25 April 1992 – 25 April 2000
Preceded by	Tonnis Miedema
Succeeded by	Steffen Hauke
Minister-President of Delland
In office 18 October 1990 – 3 October 1991
Preceded by	Severyn Gaastra
Succeeded by	Peke Ringnalda
Leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 August 2022
Preceded by	Astrid Keskula
Personal details
Born	(1960-01-11) January 11, 1960 Wottested, Alsland
Nationality	Alslandic
Political party	Social Democratic Party (since 1987)
Other political affiliations	National Bloc (until 1987)
Parent	Lieuwe Zijlstra (father)
Residence	Wottested

Bonne Zijlstra (born January 11, 1960) is an Alslandic politician who served as President of the Euclean Community from 2007 to 2012. As a member of the Social Democratic Party, he served as the 10th President of Alsland from 1992 to 2000, and as a Member of the Euclean Parliament from 2004 to 2007 and again from 2014 to present.

Born in Wottested to politician and later Premier of Alsland from 1974 to 1975, Lieuwe Zijlstra and his wife. Zijlstra graduated from the University of Rahu with a degree in corporate law. Whilst in university he joined the National Bloc and organised the party's leftist youth wing during his studies. He left the party in 1987 after it adopted more right-wing policies and briefly supported the Alslandic Section of the Workers' International. Zijlstra briefly worked as lawyer for Sikma FÛ before being selected as the Premier candidate for the Social Democratic Party ahead of the 1990 election which Zijlstra won. He was Premier of Delland from 1990 until 1991 when he resigned to run for President of Alsland which he would hold between 1992 and 2000, upon his election he was the youngest non-royal head of state and the youngest President of Alsland. After stepping down from the Presidency Zijlstra was elected as a Member of the Euclean Parliament in 2004 until 2007 when he became the 1st President of the Euclean Community after the Treaty of Maredoux. Zijlstra was President until 2012 when he completed his term, afterwards he briefly worked as a spokesperson for the euclofederalist New Euclea before re-entering politics after returning to the Euclean Parliament in 2014. In 2023 Zijlstra re-entered domestic politics by assuming the Presidency of the Constitutional Convention and becoming the leader of the Social Democratic Party.

Despite not holding a domestic position for 23 years, Zijlstra remains an influential figure within Alsland with a political career spanning over three decades. He remains the only leftist President of Alsland to have won a regularly scheduled election and win re-election. He is an outspoken supporter of the Euclean Community being reformed into a single federal state.

Early Life

Bonne Zijlstra was born on January 11 1960 in Wottested to Lieuwe Zijlstra (1921-1998), a Senator from Middewald and Haakje Zijlstra (1930-2009). His father was a prominent member of the National Bloc and served as Economic Affairs minister in 4 governments between 1968 and 1974. Lieuwe became Premier of Alsland on 19 July 1974 after the resignation of Sotiro Kivi. His appointment was a compromise between the leftist factions of the Bloc and the conservative factions led by then president Pierke de Leeuw who had a fractuous relationship with Zijlstra over policy disputes. After the Bloc suffered losses at the 1974 election, Zijlstra faced calls to resign from the conservative wings but ultimately remained as Premier until stepping down on 1 March 1975. During his father's Premiership, Bonne and his mother and twin sister lived in the family's apartment in Wottested whilst Lieuwe lived at the Premier's official residence in Yndyk. During this time Lieuwe reportedly had an extra-marital affair with a female aide which contributed to his political downfall shortly after the news emerged. Lieuwe and Haakje separated in 1977 and Haakje emigrated to Cassier following a smear campaign by Lieuwe's supporters. Following a controversial custody battle, Zijlstra and his sister remained in Alsland although both cut ties with their parents upon reaching adulthood.

In 1979 Zijlstra officially joined the big tent National Bloc as a supporter of the party's leftist base of support. Whilst attending the University of Rahu, Zijlstra helped organise the party's student groups particularly leftist oriented groups who had an alliance with the Democratic Young Pioneers of Alsland on the campus. The two groups helped organise a sit in of the University's student union during protests against the governments of Illimar Rootare and Albert Kass who oriented the national party in a right-wing direction. Zijlstra spoke at the National Bloc's conference in 1982 where he criticised Kass in particular who became President shortly before the conference. Him and other youth groups of the Bloc were barred from voting for a successor to Kass over fears it could empower the Alslandic Section of the Workers' International who were in government with the Bloc.

Early career

• Lawyer for defence company Sikma FÛ
• Avoids national service bc of "medical issues", widely believed to be a result of interference by Lieuwe
• Leaves the Bloc

Premier of Delland

• Election
• Coalition w/ASAY
• Policies
• Resignation

President of Alsland

• Election
• Presidency
• Conflict w/ Hauschka
• 1998 election
• Kaljurand Premiership
• Posthuma Premiership
• Retirement

President of the Euclean Community

• Election

MEP

• Election
• Policies & support for issues
• President of Alsland constitutional conventional

Personal life

Zijlstra's domestic partner is TV presenter and actress Sanderke Lautenbach. They have 2 children and live in Wottested. He currently is a member of the Socialist Alternative for Euclea.