Jack de Vries

Jack de Vries (born 25 July 1968, Drachten) is a Dutch Christian Democratic political advisor who was nominated on December 7, 2007, to succeed Cees van der Knaap as State Secretary of Defense.

De Vries studied political science at the VU University. He was leader of the Christian Democratic youth movement (CDJA) and completed his military service with a stint as communications advisor to the Dutch Army. Never away from national politics, he became media spokesman of the CDA parliamentary faction in 1997, serving under Enneüs Heerma and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. De Vries then became advisor to Jan Peter Balkenende who became political leader of the CDA in October 2001, after De Hoop Scheffer's lijsttrekker candidacy was not supported by the party. Balkenende won the 2002 elections, became prime-minister, and brought De Vries with him to the Ministry of General Affairs.

In 2005, De Vries was appointed as CDA campaign chairman, and lead them through the 2006 municipal elections, the 2006 general election, and the 2007 provincial elections.

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