The Hague Deputy Mayor, Alderman for Economic Affairs, International Affairs and Municipal Services
Saskia Bruines has been Deputy Mayor of The Hague since 16 February 2017. Her portfolio comprises Knowledge Economy, International, Youth, and Education. She studied Human Geography at the University of Amsterdam, specialising in Historical Geography. Bruines was an alderman for the City of Amsterdam from 1999 to 2002. Her portfolios comprised Arts and Culture and Information and Communication Technology, with the portfolios of Public Space and Greenery, the Environment, Taxi Affairs, Inland Water Management and Resources, Welfare and Inner-city Education being added in 2001. From 1998 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2006 she was a council member and party chairman of D66 in the Amsterdam City Council and a presidium member and deputy chair of the Amsterdam City Council. Subsequently, Bruines held various positions in the culture sector. In 2008 and 2009 she was quartermaster during the establishment of the Culturalis Theatre, later named De Vaillant, in Hobbemastraat in The Hague. From 2009 to 2012, Bruines was managing director of the erstwhile arts centre Kunstencentrum De Hint, a school for music, theatre and dance in the region of Uithoorn, Aalsmeer and De Ronde Venen.