{{Short description|Dutch politician (born 1956)}} {{Family name hatnote|Meijer|Lagas|lang=Dutch|nd=y}} {{Use British English|date=April 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Ilona Lagas | image = | caption = | office = Leader of the [[Farmer–Citizen Movement]] <br> in the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] | term_start = 13 June 2023 | term_end = | predecessor = | successor = | office1 = Member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] | term_start1 = 13 June 2023 | term_end1 = | parliamentary_group1 = [[Farmer–Citizen Movement]] | office2 = [[Alderman (Netherlands)|Alderwoman]] of [[Ommen]] | term_start2 = 17 July 2017 | term_end2 = 2018 (''acting'') | alongside2 = Theo Katerberg | predecessor2 = Hans ter Keurst | successor2 = | term_start3 = 6 April 2006 | term_end3 = 27 May 2014 | birth_name = Ilona Maria Meijer | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1956|01|31}} | birth_place = [[Zwolle]], Netherlands | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Farmer–Citizen Movement|BBB]] (since 2021) | other_party = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]] (until 2021) | spouse = Ad Lagas | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|[[Politician]]|[[teacher]]|[[consultant]]}} | signature = }}
'''Ilona Maria Lagas-Meijer''' ({{IPA|nl|iˈloːnaː laːˌɣɑs ˈmɛiər|lang}}; born 31 January 1956)<ref name="birth">{{cite web |title=Akte van oprichting van Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio |url=https://ris.dalfsen.nl/Raadsinformatie/14-2-Benoeming-lid-Raad-van-Toezicht-St-Openbaar-Onderwijs-Zwolle-en-Regio-Oprichtingsakte.pdf |website=3 September 2012 |access-date=7 April 2023 |language=nl}}</ref> is a Dutch politician of the [[Farmer–Citizen Movement]] (BBB). She participated in the [[2023 Dutch Senate election|2023 Senate election]] as the Farmer–Citizen Movement's [[lead candidate]], and became the party's [[parliamentary leader]] in the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]]. Lagas joined the Farmer–Citizen Movement in 2021 after leaving the [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (VVD), for which she previously served as a municipal councillor and [[Alderman (Netherlands)|alderwoman]].
== Biography == Lagas was born on 31 January 1956 in [[Zwolle]], [[Overijssel]].<ref name="birth"/> After working in a hospital laboratory for eleven years, she became a teacher in German and [[Citizenship education (subject)|civics]] at a college for [[vocational education]] (MBO) in 1985.<ref name="Volkskrant">{{cite web |last1=Hofs |first1=Yvonne |title=Flapuit met poten in Vechtdal-klei wordt BBB-leider in Eerste Kamer |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/flapuit-met-poten-in-vechtdal-klei-wordt-bbb-leider-in-eerste-kamer~b9565461/ |website=[[de Volkskrant]] |access-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230408114333/https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/flapuit-met-poten-in-vechtdal-klei-wordt-bbb-leider-in-eerste-kamer~b9565461/ |archive-date=8 April 2023 |language=nl-NL |date=9 February 2023 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> She later joined the management of the college's programme in [[international trade]].<ref name="Volkskrant"/> Since 2014, she has been a self-employed government consultant.<ref name="Volkskrant"/><ref name="BBB">{{cite web |title=Ilona Lagas |url=https://boerburgerbeweging.nl/kandidaten/ilona-lagas/ |website=BoerBurgerBeweging |access-date=8 April 2023 |language=nl}}</ref>
=== Political career === A member of the VVD, Lagas was elected into the [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|municipal council]] of [[Nieuwleusen]] in 1990.<ref name="Volkskrant"/><ref name="BBB"/> She was re-elected in the 1994 municipal election, but left the council in 1995 when she moved out of the municipality.<ref name="BBB"/> From 1998, she served as a member of the municipal council of [[Ommen]], until she joined the [[municipal executive]] on 6 April 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hulsink, Lagas en Geurs worden wethouder |url=https://www.destentor.nl/ommen/hulsink-lagas-en-geurs-worden-wethouder~a2662a39/ |website=[[De Stentor]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=1 April 2006}}</ref> Her portfolio as an alderwoman included [[spatial planning]], environment and economic affairs.<ref name="BBB"/>
In 2011, Lagas survived a [[motion of no confidence]] after a municipal construction project had resulted in a loss of {{Euro|28.5 million}}.<ref name="Volkskrant"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Wethouders Ommen kunnen blijven zitten |url=https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/135478/wethouders-ommen-kunnen-blijven-zitten |website=[[RTV Oost]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=16 December 2011}}</ref> She was re-elected into the municipal council in the 2014 election, and left the municipal executive on 27 May 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wethouder Lagas is voortaan liever raadslid in Ommen |url=https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/189329/wethouder-lagas-is-voortaan-liever-raadslid-in-ommen |website=[[RTV Oost]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=9 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Uitnodiging Afscheid wethouder Ilona Lagas 27 mei 2014 |url=https://ommen.raadsinformatie.nl/modules/15/module/133122 |website=Gemeente Ommen |access-date=9 April 2023 |date=21 May 2014 |archive-date=27 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127111642/https://ommen.raadsinformatie.nl/modules/15/module/133122 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 2017 to 2018, she briefly served as a [[Part-time job|part-time]] alderwoman while one of the municipality's aldermen was on [[sick leave]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ilona Lagas en Theo Katerberg waarnemend wethouders voor Hans ter Keurst |url=https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/272131/ilona-lagas-en-theo-katerberg-waarnemend-wethouders-voor-hans-ter-keurst |website=[[RTV Oost]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=5 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Veltmaat |first1=Sandra |title=Zieke wethouder Ommen krijgt twee tijdelijke vervangers |url=https://www.destentor.nl/ommen/zieke-wethouder-ommen-krijgt-twee-tijdelijke-vervangers~aa0eaa40/ |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=5 July 2017}}</ref> Lagas left local politics in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Koerhuis |first1=Benny |title=Ilona Lagas stopt als raadslid VVD Ommen en wordt waakhond van het regionaal openbaar onderwijs |url=https://www.destentor.nl/ommen/ilona-lagas-stopt-als-raadslid-vvd-ommen-en-wordt-waakhond-van-het-regionaal-openbaar-onderwijs~ae8bbe05/ |website=[[De Stentor]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=16 December 2019}}</ref>
In 2021, Lagas left the VVD, as she felt that the party no longer represented the interests of the countryside.<ref name="Volkskrant"/> The [[fourth Rutte cabinet]]'s policy to reduce agricultural [[Human impact on the nitrogen cycle|nitrogen pollution]] by 50% before 2030 contributed to her decision to leave the party.<ref name="Volkskrant"/> Lagas subsequently joined the [[Farmer–Citizen Movement]]. She was elected into the [[Provincial Council of Overijssel]] in the [[2023 Dutch provincial elections|2023 provincial elections]], but did not accept her seat due to her scheduled participation in the [[2023 Dutch Senate election|2023 Senate election]] as the Farmer–Citizen Movement's [[lead candidate]].<ref>{{cite web |title=BoerBurgerBeweging laat door winst 'gaten' vallen in provincies |url=https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/cnt/dmf20230316_59585802 |website=[[Noordhollands Dagblad]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl |date=16 March 2023}}</ref> After the election, she became the party's [[parliamentary leader]] in the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wier |first1=Marten van de |title=Ex-VVD-wethouder en conflictoplosser Ilona Lagas (67) wordt boegbeeld BBB in de Eerste Kamer |url=https://www.trouw.nl/binnenland/ex-vvd-wethouder-en-conflictoplosser-ilona-lagas-67-wordt-boegbeeld-bbb-in-de-eerste-kamer~b826ca75/ |website=[[Trouw]] |access-date=9 April 2023 |language=nl-NL |date=16 March 2023}}</ref>
== Personal life == Lagas resides in [[Vinkenbuurt]], Overijssel.<ref name="BBB"/> She is married to Ad Lagas, with whom she has a son and a daughter.<ref name="Volkskrant"/> Her husband is the founder of a [[Classical liberalism|classical liberal]] faction within the [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]].<ref name="Volkskrant"/> He later also defected to the Farmer–Citizen Movement.<ref name="Volkskrant"/> Her daughter, Marijke Lagas, is a [[cystic fibrosis]] patient, who successfully advocated for health insurance coverage of treatment with [[lumacaftor/ivacaftor]] in the Netherlands.<ref name="Volkskrant"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Koolen |first1=André |title=Haagse Marijke (30) blij met middel tegen taaislijmziekte: 'Ik kan nu 80 worden!' |url=https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/3538811/haagse-marijke-30-blij-met-middel-tegen-taaislijmziekte-ik-kan-nu-80-worden |website=[[Omroep West]] |access-date=8 April 2023 |language=nl |date=26 October 2017}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Members of the Senate of the Netherlands, 2023–2027|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagas, Ilona}} [[Category:1956 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century Dutch women politicians]] [[Category:20th-century Dutch politicians]] [[Category:21st-century Dutch women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century Dutch politicians]] [[Category:Aldermen in Overijssel]] [[Category:Farmer–Citizen Movement politicians]] [[Category:Municipal councillors in Overijssel]] [[Category:People from Ommen]] [[Category:People from Zwolle]] [[Category:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy politicians]]