About Eelco Keij (Twitter: @EelcoKeij)

Hello!

In October of 2011 I decided to organize a debate in New York regarding upcoming changes in the Dutch law with respect to dual nationality for Dutch citizens. With help of representatives of Dutch political parties in New York (PvdA, D66 and VVD) this debate soon led to an online petition that received an overwhelming response from Dutch people worldwide – not to mention the press, for example the Economist and Huffington Post. In June it became clear that the petition proved successful: we had been able to thwart further deterioration of the rights of Dutch people abroad. See also the Daily Herald for the latest update.

When the Dutch cabinet fell in May 2012, I decided to run for Dutch parliament (D66), and I made it to the ‘core’ list – spot 25. My main focus areas were and remain the possibility of dual nationality for “international Dutch people” and the possibility for them to vote online and at the same time as their fellow citizens in the Netherlands. With the elections of September 12 bringing a victory to D66 of 2 seats (from 10 to 12) I did not make it into parliament – however with still 1620 preferential votes and issues that still need to be fought for!

Together with my wife and two sons I have been living and working in Harlem (New York) for the past 6 years. I am self-employed, assisting non-American nonprofits in their efforts to devise and implement fundraising strategies toward US foundations such as the Gates and the Ford Foundation.

Through this website I will keep you informed about the above-mentioned issues and their progress in parliament as well as other (sometimes unrelated) topics that are worthwhile to mention.

Questions, remarks, more issues? Please let me know!

Thanks,

Eelco Keij
Twitter: @EelcoKeij

Spot 25 on the D66 list!