Kathalijne Buitenweg

Before politics

From 1985 to 1986 she was a member of the board of the youth organisation of the environmental organisation NIVON (Dutch Institute for People's Education and Nature Friends). After completing her VWO in 1989, Buitenweg studied History at the University of Amsterdam, where she specialised in European Studies and American Studies, graduating in 1994. In 1991 she became a member of the executive of the European Coordination Bureau of International Youth Organisations, and was elected Vice-Chairperson in 1993, which she remained until 1995. She also was a trainee at the European Commission from 1994 to 1995, and a member of the steering committee of European Youth Campaign against racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance, of the Council of Europe.

In 1995 Buitenweg became policy adviser for the European Delegation of the Green Left. In 1998 she moved to The Hague where she was policy advisor to the GreenLeft parliamentary party in the House of Representatives until 1999.

Political career

In 1999 Buitenweg was elected to the European Parliament. From 1999 to 2004 she was a member of the budget committee and the committee on Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and a delegate for relations with South Africa. In a controversial Lijsttrekker election in 2004 she became the European Leader of the Green Left. In that election she defeated her friend and colleague Joost Lagendijk, who led the GreenLeft in the -very successful- 1999 campaign. Lagendijk however was the only proposed candidate. In reaction to the motion "we want to choose" which was carried by the GreenLeft party Congress Buitenweg decided to become candidate in the last minutes before the election. The rebellious congress finally had something to choose and voted for Buitenweg.

Currently she is a member of the committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, between 2004 and 2007 she was a substitute for the Committee on Budgets, a substitute for the temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007–2013, a member of the delegation for relations with the United States, and a substitute for the delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2007 she joined the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety as a substitute

In the second to 2006 elections Buitenweg is last candidate on list of the GreenLeft, a symbolic position. In 2008 she announced that she would not seek a third term in the European Parliament.

In the European Parliament, Buitenweg has specialised in anti-discrimination, drug policy and civil freedoms.

In 2008 she announced that she would not seek a third in the European Parliament. On March 7, 2009 the GreenLeft party congress put her on the final place of the party list, as lijstduwer. She was succeeded as leader of the GreenLeft in the European Parliament by Judith Sargentini.