In this article, we use Dutch capitalization for the tussenvoegsels in Dutch family names. The first letter in In 't Veld is capitalized unless it is preceded by a name, initial or title of nobility.
Sophia Helena "Sophie" in 't Veld (born 13 September 1963) is a Dutch politician (Volt, previously D66). She was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2004, and reelected in 2009, 2014 and 2019. She was D66's top candidate for the three elections and was its leader in the European Parliament since her first election.
From 1982 to 1991, she studied history at Leiden University. After completing a master's degree in medieval studies, she worked as a freelance translator in French, English and Italian, then as a trainee in the economic affairs department in the Dutch city of Gouda.[1]
Political career
Johanna Boogerd-Quaak, then a D66 MEP, hired In ’t Veld as an assistant in 1994.[1] From 1996 to 2004, she was the secretary general of the ELDR group in the Committee of the Regions.
In addition to her committee assignments, In ’t Veld founded and currently chairs the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics. She is also Chair of the European Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development since 2009 and Vice-President of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights.[3]
Following the 2019 elections, In ‘t Veld ran against Dacian Cioloș and Fredrick Federley to lead the Renew Europe group but eventually lost to Cioloș.[6] Following Cioloş's resignation in 2021, she announced her candidacy to succeed him.[7] Shortly after, she withdrew her candidacy, which left Stéphane Séjourné the only candidate for the position.[8]
On 16 June 2023, she announced having switched party membership from D66 to Volt.[9] In 't Veld intended to seek re-election in the June 2024 European Parliament election as the lead candidate of Volt Netherlands, but she had not been a member of the party long enough to be eligible. She instead decided to run in Belgium's Dutch-speaking electoral college and was elected as the lead candidate of Volt Belgium in October 2023.[10] On 7 April 2024, she was elected as the European lead candidate for Volt Europa together with Damian Boeselager.[11] She failed to win re-election in June 2024, as Volt Belgium's vote share of 0.9% was insufficient to secure any European Parliament seats.[12] Her term ended on 15 July 2024.[13]
In 2008, In 't Veld filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Homeland Security, demanding to see what information it had collected on her from her PNR data; this move led to her being blacklisted.[1] A Washington, D.C. judge ruled in 2009 that the Federal government of the United States does not need to explain to In 't Veld why she must undergo additional security checks each time she visits the United States.[17]
In July 2009, In ‘t Veld took to court again after unsuccessfully seeking access to documents about the legal basis of the EU’s agreement with the United States about how information from the international bank transfer system SWIFT concerning EU citizens would be passed from the EU to the United States. The EU’s General Court ruled in December 2009 that In ‘t Veld should be given access to parts of the documents, but the Council of Ministers heavily censored the files. In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that In ‘t Veld should be given access to documents prepared by the legal service of the Council.[18]Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer represented in 't Veld in her case.
Democracy
She lauded the measures in defense of democracy the European Union took in regards to Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter.[19] She is the rapporteur for the EU Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA) which she deemed a threat to democracy.[20]
Immigration
Speaking in the European Parliament on 29 April 2015, In 't Veld criticised Nigel Farage's warning that Islamic extremists were likely to enter Europe among the influx of migrants and refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. She suggested that scenario would be as unlikely as an invasion by Martians.[21] It was later claimed by the Hungarian counter terror chief that terrorists had illegally entered the EU through that method.[22]
In September 2019, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen created the new position of “Vice President for Protecting our European Way of Life”, who will be responsible for upholding the rule-of-law, internal security and migration.[23] In 't Veld said in a statement: "The implication that Europeans need to be protected from external cultures is grotesque and this narrative should be rejected."[24]
In 2019, Dutch opinion magazine HP/De Tijd revealed that In 't Veld received reimbursements for years for untaken hotel stays in Brussels, the city where she resided. The total amount of unjustified reimbursements was at least tens of thousands of euros.[27] Although In 't Veld claimed that she used these reimbursements for hotel stays in the Netherlands, it was revealed that she paid her hotel stays in the Netherlands with a different reimbursement worth more than 4,500 euros per month.[28]
