Pauline Krikke was born in Sneek in 1961. After graduating from the Frederik Muller Academy, Krikke studied law for some years at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. At the time she became increasingly involved in both international relations and public administration. She served on the National Board of the Student Association for International Relations (SIB) and the Executive Committee of the International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations (ISMUN).
Career
After leading the campaign for the VVD in Amsterdam in 1986, she started her own service company for campaigns, congresses and events, meanwhile serving on the boards of Housing Corporation Nieuw Amsterdam, Employers association for Childcarecentres, and the Governments Council of Youth Policy.
Local politics (1994–2013)
In 1994, Krikke was elected for the Amsterdam's City Council, and two years later, she was appointed in the college van burgemeester en wethouders for economic affairs, airports and seaports. After the elections of 1998, she was assigned the portfolios 'economic affairs and employment' and 'urban planning, housing and economy of the inner city'. She has also fulfilled several functions as a council member and commissioner, and was delegation leader of international missions with representatives of companies and institutions from Amsterdam
In 2001 she was appointed by The Crown to be the Mayor of Arnhem, and in 2007 for another term of six years.
Meanwhile, she held governmental subsidiary positions such as Taskforce Youth Unemployment, and Consultative Commission On Disaster Relief.
Within her own political party she was Chairperson of the Permanent Committee for scouting Representatives for the National and European Parliaments (2004–2012).
On 29 October 2012, Krikke announced she would not seek a third term as mayor of Arnhem, creating ample time for both the municipality and herself, for "flow, and recalibration of perspectives" before the summer of 2013. On her departure she was invested as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.[6]
Member of the Senate (2015–17)
Between 2015 and 2017, Krikke served as member of the Senate.
In March 2017 she became mayor of The Hague. Almost all local parties supported her appointment.[8] In October 2019 she resigned,[9] following the conclusions of a report[10] that blamed her office with the 2018 New Year's Eve and 2019 New Year's Day fires in Scheveningen, The Hague.[11]
Other positions of Krikke include Chairperson of the Netherlands Vehicle Authority [nl] (RDW), Chairperson of the Nationwide Consultation consumer interests Public Transport, Chairperson of the Strategic Advisory Board of the Dutch Association of Insurers, and a member of Association Aegon.