Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle

Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (born 28 May 1983 in Madrid) is a Spanish-Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 (D66), who has served as a Member of the European Parliament since 2024.

Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle
Official portrait, 2024
Member of the European Parliament
Assumed office
16 July 2024
Parliamentary groupRenew Europe
ConstituencyNetherlands
Personal details
Born
Raquel García Hermida

(1983-05-28) 28 May 1983 (age 41)
Madrid, Spain
Citizenship
Political partyDemocrats 66
Other political
affiliations
ALDE Party
Children3
Residence(s)Gorredijk, Netherlands
Alma materComplutense University of Madrid
OccupationPolitician

Early life and education

edit

García Hermida-van der Walle grew up in Madrid and studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. During her studies she was active for a local political party in the neighbouring municipality Pinto, Juntos por Pinto.[1]

Career

edit

After her studies she worked for several NGO's and civil society organisations, including Earth Day Network, Survival International, and Stichting AAP in the US, Spain, and the Netherlands, respectively.[1]

She has been politically active in D66 since 2018, for which she has been active in various committees and departments. From 2019 to 2023, she was the chairwoman of D66 Fryslân.[2][3] García Hermida-van der Walle won the Els Borst Network Inspiration Award in 2019,[4] and was also a candidate for the European Parliament in the same year.[5] Before seeking office as a Member of the European Parliament Parliament for a second time in 2024, she was director of the public library of Hoogeveen.[6]

She was D66's second candidate in the June 2024 European Parliament election, when the party secured three seats. García Hermida-van der Walle was elected, and her term started on 16 July 2024.[7][8]

Member of the European Parliament 2024-present

edit

Since assuming office, García Hermida-van der Walle has served on the Committee on Regional Development and as a substitute member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. She is also a member of the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean and a substitute member of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union.[9] On October 3, 2024, García Hermida-van der Walle was elected chair of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan.[10]

In addition to her membership of committees and delegations, García Hermida-van der Walle has been elected as a board member of the Spinelli Group.[11] On September 30, 2024, García Hermida-van der Walle became the rapporteur on behalf of the European Parliament for the European Anti-Corruption Directive.[12]

Electoral history

edit
Electoral history of Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle
Year Body Party Pos. Votes Result Ref.
Party seats Individual
2024 European Parliament Democrats 66 2 100,504 3 Won [7]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Curriculum Vitae". www.raquelgarcia.eu (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Spaanse Friezin Raquel Garcia (40) wil Europarlementariër worden". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 10 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle nieuwe regiovoorzitter D66". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  4. ^ "D66 Els Borst Netwerk — EBN Inspiratieprijs". D66 Els Borst Netwerk (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle kwam uit Madrid naar Gorredijk en wil namens Nederlandse partij in Europees parlement". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 13 May 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Nieuwe directeur Bibliotheek Hoogeveen: Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle". Bibliotheekblad (in Dutch). 22 May 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Proces-verbaal centraal stembureau uitslag verkiezing Europees Parlement Model P22-1" [Central electoral council report of the results of the election of the European Parliament Model P22-1] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 19 June 2024. pp. 17–18, 40. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  8. ^ "García Hermida in Europees Parlement". Sa24 (in Dutch). 11 June 2024.
  9. ^ "10th parliamentary term | Raquel GARCÍA HERMIDA-VAN DER WALLE". European Parliament. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Home | D-AF | Delegations | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Board & Members (EP 2024 - 2029) - The Spinelli Group". thespinelligroup.eu. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Directive Combating corruption 2023/0135(COD)". Legislative Observatory. Retrieved 26 October 2024.