Hanke Bruins Slot

Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot (born 20 October 1977) is a Dutch politician and military veteran who served as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 2022 to 2023, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2023 until 2024.

Early career
Prior to her political career, Bruins Slot served in the Royal Netherlands Army; she was deployed to Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. In 2010, she was conferred the rank of artillery captain.

Political career
A member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Bruins Slot served in the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2019. She focused her work as a parliamentarian on matters of defence personnel, local government, healthcare science, medical law, psychiatry and sports.

From 2019 to 2022, Bruins Slot was a member of the provincial executive of Utrecht, in which she was in charge of nature, agriculture, soil and water, sport and governance.

In February 2024, she stated that Israel's planned assault on Rafah was "unjustifiable".

In April 2024 the European Commission co-hosted a conference on "restoring justice for Ukraine" in The Hague. Significant contributors were Slot as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba and the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders.

In May 2024, Bruins Slot said that the Netherlands would not object if Ukraine used Dutch-supplied F-16 fighters to strike targets inside Russia.

Personal life
Slot was born in Apeldoorn and grew up in Winsum, Zeewolde, and Ridderkerk. She is married. Her father, grandfather and uncle have all been mayors.

Honours

 * 🇪🇸 Spain: Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (9 April 2024)