Hilda Schaaf

Hilda Schaaf
Schaaf in 2021
Co-Leader of the Humanist Sotirian Union
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 December 2015 Serving with Suwert Jorritsma
Preceded by	Aleksander Olesk
Secretary of the Arts and Media
In office 13 May 2014 – 29 November 2014
Premier	Liekele Ykema
Preceded by	Emil Schlessinger
Succeeded by	Aleksander Vaino
Member of the Folkssenaat
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 September 2002
Constituency	Wottested
Personal details
Born	Hilda Kalsbeek (1967-11-29) 29 November 1967 Rikertsted, Delland, Alsland
Nationality	Alslandic
Political party	Humanist Sotirian Union
Spouse	Sybran Schaaf (m. 1991)
Children	5
Residence(s)	Wottested, Alsland
Alma mater	University of Wottested
Occupation	Politician Author Screenwriter
Other offices held 2014-2015: Deputy-Leader of the Humanist Sotirian Union 2018-Now: Chair of the Folkssenaat committee on Social Affairs 1995-2002: Member of the Wottested Assembly

Hilda Schaaf (née Kalsbeek, born 29 November 1967) is an Alslandic politician author and screenwriter, serving as the Co-Leader of the Humanist Sotirian Union alongside Suwert Jorritsma since 2015. She previously served as the Secretary of the Arts and Media in the First Ykema cabinet and was Deputy-Leader of the New Sotirian People's Party between 2014 and 2015. Since 2018 she has also been the Chairperson of the Folkssenaat committee on Social Affairs.

Schaaf is most well known for being the author of the critically acclaimed book: Watercolour birds. The book has sold an estimated 49 million copies globally as of 2019. Schaaf became the first Alslandic person to be awarded the Foirbeis Award for Literature in 2004 for her "dedication to literature which allows the historical context to come to light in fragments of human reality". In 2016 Schaaf made her screenwriting debut when she was the screenwriter for the adaptation of Watercolour birds which was released in 2018 with commercial success becoming the highest ever grossing Alslandic film in it's opening weekend. Schaaf was co-screenwriter of the 2021 Alslandic-Estmerish film X. Her bestselling 2017 book Siseko which was inspired by a trip to Garambura was celebrated as a step towards popularising traditional Bahian stories within Euclean literature.

Schaaf's writings have been translated into over 50 languages making her one of the most translated contemporary Alslandic authors.

Political career

Early political career

Leadership of the Humanist Sotirian Union

Schaaf and Premier Liekele Ykema speaking to members of the Press during coalition negotiations in 2018

As the leader of the HSU, Schaaf had presented herself as a member of the sotirian left factions of the party. She identifies primarily as a Humanist or sometimes as a liberal Sotirian. Both she and co-leader Suwert Jorritsma both come from centre-left factions of the party. Jorritsma and Schaaf have been accused of purging ideological opponents from the party during the initial months of their leadership after they removed former leader Aleksander Olesk from the party after Hjoed published racist text messages from Olesk when he was leader. During coalition negotiations in 2018 she openly supported a broad coalition of left-wing parties and the HSU and did not take a seat in the cabinet to instead focus on leading the party. After the coalition negotiations concluded, Schaaf and Jorritsma both resigned as co-leaders but were re-elected at the HSU's regular conference that year.

Schaaf was elected as the party's candidate for Premier ahead of the 2022 Alslandic legislative election. She was criticised for approving disciplinary measures against Labour Affairs minister Urjo Eenpalu who resigned from the party to stand as an independent candidate in the election. During the SYFA spying scandal she dismissed calls for the HSU to leave the coalition but did approve of the government's decision to resign as part of the scandal and admit responsibility. She signed a pledge alongside other candidates to hold a public independent investigation into the scandal, she also supported plans to abolish and reform SYFA in the aftermath of the scandal.

Personal life

In 1991 Hilda married veterinarian Sybran Schaaf who she had met in 1986. Hilda credits Sybran for being the inspiration for some of her earlier unpublished works. Prior to their marriage Hilda had fallen pregnant with the couple's first child and their decision to get married was motivated by this. Together the couple have 5 children born between 1991 and 2009. In 2014 Schaaf's first grandchild was born. Schaaf is a notable philanthropist. In 2006 Schaaf signed a pledge to donate 10% of all funds from future book sales towards charitable organisations. Some of the largest benefactors of Schaaf's philanthropy are Sotirian Aid, Fairtrade International, the Alslandic Hospice system and various climate organisations.

Schaaf is a practicing Amendist. Prior to 2010 she was a member of the Church of Delland, she left the church in protest over the election of Mene Kootstra as the church's chief moderator. A lifelong humanist, Schaaf is critical of certain aspects of Sotirianity and is a member of the Sotirian humanist Reformed Humanist Church of Alsland. Schaaf is the sister of former bronze-medal invictus archer Lukas Kalsbeek.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Notes
2016	Watercolour birds	No	Yes	No	Film adaptation of the same name
2022	Liina	No	Yes	No	To debut at Montecara Film Festival

Television

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Actor	Notes
2020	Defektor	No	Yes	No	Yes	Cameo appearance (Episode: "S2E1")