Jet Nijpels

Henriette Maria "Jet" Nijpels-Hezemans (born 10 September 1947) is a Dutch former politician. From 1994 to 1998, she was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives, initially as leader of the General Elderly Alliance (AOV), and after being expelled from the AOV following internal party conflicts as an independent.

Early life Jet Nijpels was born on 10 September 1947 in Bergen op Zoom. Her husband was a wealthy pharmacist, for whom Jet Nijpels worked as an accountant until 1986. In 1986, Jet Nijpels was elected to the Eindhoven municipal council as a member of the VVD, where she became known as an independent-minded politician, such as in 1988 when she led an initiative to remove a VVD alderman. Batenburg had initially decided to hire Nijpels as a political advisor for the AOV, while remaining party chairman himself. That same year AOV MP Cees van Wingerden accused Nijpels of failure as leader and nepotism, which led to Nijpels hosting a press conference where she publicly criticised Van Wingerden's career history.

In 1995, Martin Batenburg had intended to join the Senate for the AOV, but was placed on the eighth spot on the party list due to his age, although he was nevertheless able to enter the Senate due to preferential votes. In the 1998 Dutch general election, Nijpels ran as leader of Seniors 2000, but failed to secure a seat, and as a consequence she left the House of Representatives that year.

Looking back on her political career, Nijpels would criticise her fellow party members, seeing them as too independent-minded, people who had never quite managed to reach the top but saw their positions as MPs as their moment to shine. She has also attributed the conflicts in the AOV under her leadership to her colleagues’ inability to accept having a younger woman as their boss.

Personal life Nijpels is married and has 2 children. She is the sister-in-law of former minister and VVD leader Ed Nijpels.