View source for Mei Li Vos

{{Short description|Dutch politician (born 1970)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name            = Mei Li Vos
| image           = Mei Li Vos 2022 (52159856693) (cropped).jpg
| imagesize       = 
| caption         = Vos in 2022
| office          = Member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]]
| term_start      = 11 June 2019
| office1         = [[Parliamentary leader|Leader]] of the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] in the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]]
| term_start1     = 11 June 2019
| term_end1       = 13 June 2023
| predecessor1    = [[Esther-Mirjam Sent]]
| successor1      = ''None''
| office2         = Member of the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]]
| term_start2     = 1 March 2007
| term_end2       = 17 June 2010
| term_start3     = 20 September 2012
| term_end3       = 23 March 2017
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1970|03|31|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Eindhoven]], Netherlands
| death_date      = 
| death_place     = 
| birthname       =  
| party           = [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]]
| spouse          = 
| residence       = 
| alma_mater      = [[University of Amsterdam]]
| occupation      = [[Trade union]]ist, [[editorial]]ist
| signature       =
| website         = 
}}

'''Mei Li Vos''' ({{IPA|nl|mɛiˌli ˈvɔs}}; born 31 March 1970) is a [[Dutch language|Dutch]] politician, former trade unionist and editorialist. A member of the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (PvdA), she was a member of the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]] from 1 March 2007 to 17 June 2010 and again from 20 September 2012 until 23 March 2017. She has been a member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] since 11 June 2019, serving as parliamentary leader of the PvdA group until 2023, and First Vice-President of the Senate since then.

==Early life==
Mei Li Vos was born on 31 March 1970 in [[Eindhoven]],<ref name="profile on parlement.com">[http://www.parlement.com/id/vhekc59myaes/m_l_mei_li_vos Dr. M.L. (Mei Li) Vos] (in Dutch), ''Politiek & Parlement''. Retrieved 8 April 2017.</ref> the only sister among six siblings. Her mother was [[Chinese Indonesian]], having grown up in the [[Dutch East Indies]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071029191447/http://www.meilivos.pvda.nl/renderer.do/menuId/346750/clearState/true/sf/346750/returnPage/346750/itemId/421543/realItemId/421543/pageId/346671/instanceId/346819/ Indischkeit, 15 August 2007]</ref>{{Unreliable source|date=April 2021}} During her youth her family lived in a [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Commune (intentional community)|commune]] in [[Veldhoven]]. Between 1982 and 1988 she attended the [[voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs|VWO]] at the Christian Lyceum in [[Arnhem]].<ref name="profile on parlement.com"/>

==Academic career==
Between 1988 and 1989 she studied [[Social Science|General Social Science]] at the [[University of Utrecht]]. Vos studied [[political science]] at the [[University of Amsterdam]]. Between 1994 and 2002 she worked as teacher and researcher at the political science department of the University of Amsterdam. In 1994-1995 she also worked part-time as manager of the [[Maarten Altena Ensemble]]. From 1995 and 2000 she worked on her thesis, which concerned the relationship between the Netherlands and [[Indonesia]]. She specifically researched what the effect was of Indonesia refusing [[development cooperation]] of the Netherlands on cooperation in [[higher education]], [[Industrial sector|industry]] and the [[legal profession]]. Her thesis was titled "International cooperation between politics and practice: how Dutch Indonesian cooperation changed remarkably little after a diplomatic rupture".<ref name="profile on parlement.com"/>

Since 2000 she also worked part-time as a researcher at the think tank [[Infodrome]], where she wrote a study on the [[information revolution]] and its effect on society. Based on her work here she published two books on the information society. In 2001 she was promoted there at the Political Science department. Between 2002 and 2004 she worked at [[United Knowledge]], where she advised the government on the information society. Based on her work advising the [[Ministry of Economic Affairs (Netherlands)|Ministry of Economic Affairs]] she published a book on [[empowerment]]. Between 2004 and 2005 she worked at the [[Ministry of General Affairs]] and the [[Rijksvoorlichting Dienst|government PR service]]. As such she coordinated the [[Norm (sociology)|norm]]s and [[Value (ethics)|value]]s cabinet project.<ref name="CV on meilivos.pvda.nl">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070212021225/http://www.meilivos.pvda.nl/renderer.do/clearState/true/menuId/346740/returnPage/346750/ CV on meilivos.pvda.nl]</ref>

==Alternative for Trade Union==
In 2005 she was one of the founders of the [[Alternative for Trade Union]] (Alternatief voor Vakbond, AVV),<ref name="profile on parlement.com"/> a trade union specifically oriented at young people, [[Part-time job|part-time]] employed, [[freelancer]]s, with [[temporary work]] and people on a [[flexible contract]].<ref>[http://www.alternatiefvoorvakbond.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=35&Itemid=7 Who are we?] on alternatiefvoorvakbond.nl {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928151542/http://www.alternatiefvoorvakbond.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=35&Itemid=7 |date=28 September 2007 }}</ref> The union was founded as an alternative for the [[Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging|FNV]], which was, according to AVV-founders too concerned with the interest of elderly workers. In 2005 she became the union's chair. Additionally she got a column with the [[Vrij Nederland]] and the ''[[de Volkskrant]]''. She also worked for the [[Ministry of Justice (Netherlands)|Ministry of Justice]] as a researcher on the relationship between [[human migration|migration]], [[social integration|integration]] and the [[welfare state]].<ref name="CV on meilivos.pvda.nl"/> In 2006 she published a book "the workers' paradise" on the future of the welfare state, employment and labour.<ref name="profile on parlement.com"/>

==Political career==
In the [[2006 Dutch general election|2006 elections]] Vos was placed on place 38 of the list of the PvdA. Both the conservative liberal [[VVD]] and the progressive liberal [[D'66|D66]] had asked Vos to consider running for them. Because of the PvdA did not perform particularly well in the elections, Vos was not elected immediately. When several MPs became minister in the [[Fourth Balkenende cabinet]] Vos did get a seat. Vos was spokesperson on [[freelancer]]-, [[temporary work|temporarily employed]] and [[consumer]] affairs.<ref>[http://www.meilivos.pvda.nl/ Mei Li Vos in het kort] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061125205358/http://www.meilivos.pvda.nl/ |date=25 November 2006 }} (in Dutch), [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]], 2010.</ref> She sat on the commissions on finance, European Affairs, Economic Affairs, Social Affairs and the Environment.<ref name="profile on tweedekamer.nl">[http://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerleden/alle_kamerleden/vos_mei_li/index.jsp Mei Li Vos] (in Dutch), [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]].</ref> Vos also was member of the [[board of directors]] of the [[Netherlands Public Broadcasting|public radio broadcaster]] [[FunX]].<ref name="profile on parlement.com"/> As an MP she wanted to give free lancers and the temporarily employed a voice in parliament and share the risks of a dynamic [[labour market]] more equally between free lancers, part-time employed and temporarily employed and people with a fixed contract.<ref name="profile on tweedekamer.nl"/> Vos considers herself to be a social liberal,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.150volksvertegenwoordigers.nl/ |title=profile on 150volksvertegenwoordigers.nl |access-date=22 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830162615/http://www.150volksvertegenwoordigers.nl/ |archive-date=30 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while the PvdA is a social-democratic party.

Her term in the House ended on 23 March 2017.<ref name="profile on parlement.com"/>

She was [[lead candidate]] of the PvdA in the [[2019 Dutch Senate election|2019 Senate election]].<ref>{{Cite news|website=nu.nl|language=nl|url=https://www.nu.nl/politiek/5577125/mei-li-vos-lijsttrekker-pvda-in-eerste-kamer.html|title=Mei Li Vos lijsttrekker voor PvdA in de Eerste Kamer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204084352/https://www.nu.nl/politiek/5577125/mei-li-vos-lijsttrekker-pvda-in-eerste-kamer.html|archive-date=4 December 2020}}</ref> She has been a member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] since 11 June 2019, serving as parliamentary leader.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eerstekamer.nl/persoon/dr_m_l_vos_pvda|title=Dr. M.L. Vos (PvdA)|website=Eerste Kamer|language=nl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521144951/https://www.eerstekamer.nl/persoon/dr_m_l_vos_pvda|archive-date=21 May 2022}}</ref> As of 2024, she was training to become a primary school teacher alongside, as an intern at a school in [[Amsterdam-West]].<ref name="fd">{{Cite news |url = https://fd.nl/politiek/1535960/mei-li-vos-veel-mensen-binnen-pvda-en-fnv-vonden-mij-rete-irritant |url-access = subscription |date = 20 November 2024 |last = De Lange |first = Rob |access-date = 22 November 2024 |language = nl |website = [[Het Financieele Dagblad]] |title = Mei Li Vos: 'De multiculturele samenleving laat zich niet dwingen' |trans-title = Mei Li Vos: 'A multicultural society cannot be imposed' }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Vos attends the [[English Reformed Church, Amsterdam]], affiliated to the [[Church of Scotland]] and the [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]]. In an interview, she called religion a human invention, but she said that she needed faith for contemplation and that she hoped that a higher power exists.<ref name="fd"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mei Li Vos}}
{{Members of the Senate of the Netherlands, 2023–2027}}
{{Members of the Senate of the Netherlands, 2019–2023}}
{{Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2012-2017}}
{{MPs of House of Representatives of the Netherlands 2006-2010}}
{{Portal bar|Netherlands|Indonesia|Politics|Socialism|Organized Labour}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vos, Mei Li}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch women politicians]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Amsterdam]]
[[Category:Dutch magazine editors]]
[[Category:Dutch people of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Dutch politicians of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Dutch people of Indonesian descent]]
[[Category:Dutch public relations people]]
[[Category:Dutch trade unionists]]
[[Category:Labour Party (Netherlands) politicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Dutch MPs 2012–2017]]
[[Category:People from Eindhoven]]
[[Category:Protestant Church Christians from the Netherlands]]
[[Category:University of Amsterdam alumni]]
[[Category:Dutch women magazine editors]]
[[Category:Dutch MPs 2006–2010]]