18 Facts About Edith Schippers

Edith Ingeborg Schippers was born on 25 August 1964 and is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and businesswoman who served as President of DSM Netherlands between 2019 and 2023.

Edith Schippers became a member of the House of Representatives shortly after the 2003 general election taking office on 3 June 2003, serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for health, deputy spokesperson for employment and as deputy parliamentary leader.

In May 2017, Edith Schippers announced her retirement from national politics and did not stand for the 2017 general election; she left office upon the installation of the Rutte III cabinet on 26 October 2017.

Edith Schippers retired after spending 14 years in national politics and became active in the private sector, as a corporate director for DSM Netherlands.

Edith Schippers was elected, but she left the Senate in January 2025 to become CEO of pharmaceutical wholesaler Mosadex.

Edith Schippers was born in Utrecht, but spent her years attending primary school in Dordrecht.

Edith Schippers spent half a year studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India in 1990.

Edith Schippers served in this position until 1994, after which she became a staff member of the VVD parliamentary fraction dealing with healthcare, welfare and sports.

Edith Schippers was elected into the House of Representatives in the 2003 general election and was sworn in on 3 June of that year.

Edith Schippers considered this a great honour, but not her greatest success.

Edith Schippers briefly returned to the House of Representatives after the 2012 general election, but left again when the continuation of her ministership in the second Rutte cabinet was confirmed.

Edith Schippers overcame three motions of no confidence in the House of Representatives.

Edith Schippers briefly returned to the political scene following the 2017 general election, when Speaker Khadija Arib appointed Edith Schippers as the so-called informateur, whose role is to explore possible governing alliances.

Edith Schippers was her party's lead candidate in the 2023 Senate election, and she won a seat.

Edith Schippers's party had voted against the bill in the House of Representatives, and party leader Dilan Yesilgoz had tried to prevent its treatment in the Senate.

Edith Schippers stated that the political landscape had shifted since the House vote, citing a new majority supportive of measures to simultaneously reduce refugee arrivals.

Edith Schippers was appointed CEO of pharmaceutical wholesaler Mosadex, effective 1 January 2025.

Edith Schippers is married to Sander Spijker, a project manager for P5COM who is specialised in profit improvement and cost reduction in the healthcare industry.