Laurens Valk Popular Books
Laurens Valk Biography & Facts
Laurens Antonius Josephus Maria Dassen (born 19 October 1985) is a Dutch politician and former banker. Dassen grew up in Knegsel, studied business administration at Radboud University and worked for ABN AMRO for six years. He has been a member of Volt Netherlands since its foundation in 2018 and was elected to the House of Representatives as his party's lijsttrekker in the 2021 general election. Early life and career Dassen was born in 1985 in Eindhoven and grew up in the nearby village Knegsel, North Brabant. His father worked as a manager for Philips, and his mother was a primary school teacher. Dassen has an older sister and a younger brother, and he attended the Veldhoven secondary school Sondervick College, earning his havo diploma in 2003. In his youth, he played football at the Knegselse Boys, and he played the baritone horn in a youth orchestra. After finishing secondary school, Dassen went to the Eindhoven Fontys University of Applied Sciences but quit after a year to study international economics at Maastricht University. In 2005, when he had not passed enough first-year courses, he switched to Radboud University in Nijmegen, where he graduated in 2011 with a degree in business administration. While a student, Dassen was a member of the student association N.S.V. Carolus Magnus, interned at an IT company in India for half a year, and participated in the 2009 edition of Harvard Model United Nations as part of the United Netherlands delegation. In 2012, following his graduation, Dassen took a job at ABN AMRO. He was initially involved in risk management and in the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing, and he was posted to Dubai for five months. Dassen later worked on web and app development at the bank. He left his job in September 2018 but returned part-time for a few months in 2020. Politics Dassen's transition to political life was caused by a variety of factors, including increased nationalism and populism, Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Unable to find an established political party that fit him, he joined Volt Europa, who were seeking to form a Dutch wing, in February 2018 and became a volunteer. Dassen was one of the people who founded Volt Netherlands on 23 June 2018 and started serving as its treasurer. He quit his job at ABN AMRO in September to focus on politics full-time and also became Volt's secretary. Dassen succeeded Reinier van Lanschot as party chair on 15 December 2018, when Van Lanschot was chosen as the party's lijsttrekker for the 2019 European Parliament election. Dassen himself was listed third on the Volt Netherlands party list. The party received 1.93% of the vote, not enough to meet the threshold for a seat in the European Parliament. House of Representatives On 6 June 2020, Dassen was chosen as Volt's top candidate for the 2021 Dutch general election. The Volt campaign focused on European, cross-border solutions for climate change, migration, security, and social inequality. Dassen rejected attempts to place him on the left–right political spectrum, dismissing it as "old politics". Volt won three seats in the election, resulting in Dassen being sworn in as member of the House of Representatives on 31 March. He stated that his party, being a newcomer, was not open to joining a new governing coalition. During 2022 budget debates, a motion by Volt and coalition party D66 was carried by the House to appropriate €100 million to provide lunches in school. Dassen made various proposals in his first term to lower corruption and raise trust in the Dutch political system. In September 2021, Dassen and fellow members of parliament successfully called through a motion, which was adopted by the House, for a two-year period during which cabinet members could not fill a lobbying position following the end of their term. It was in reaction to recommendations by GRECO and to Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen stepping down to work as an energy lobbyist. Dassen launched a plan with independent politician Pieter Omtzigt in May 2022 to combat corruption among cabinet members and other high-ranking government officials. Their proposal included the expansion of the integrity rules, the introduction of a code of conduct and an authority that enforces it, and the creation of a lobby register that includes meetings. A motion to introduce the register was carried, but Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Hanke Bruins Slot refused to execute it. De Volkskrant reported that some of the other proposals of Omtzigt and Dassen were used by Minister Bruins Slot in her bill for a two-year lobbying ban for former cabinet members. The sanctions they had suggested in case of breaching the rules, however, were not included. Furthermore, Dassen suggested together with Gert-Jan Segers (CU) that trust in the Dutch political system should be increase by strengthening the House's ability to gather information and by raising the number of seats in the House from 150 to 200. Dassen presented a policy paper on political reform with Segers's successor – Mirjam Bikker – in August 2023. It contained three plans: to increase the size of the House from 150 to 250 seats, to involve the parliament earlier in bills initiated by the cabinet, and to organize more debates on long-term issues such as the effects of artificial intelligence (AI). Dassen argued the responsibilities of members of parliament had grown, partly due to social media. During Dassen's tenure as caucus leader, the party suspended House member Nilüfer Gündoğan from its caucus following allegations of unacceptable behavior. When she was definitively expelled in February 2022 after an investigation, Gündoğan filed a criminal complaint for defamation against Dassen, Volt, and the accusers. A judge determined that the expulsion had been unjust, and Dassen subsequently apologized to Gündoğan but later stated that the conflict could only be resolved after the withdrawal of her criminal complaint. Her expulsion was finally reinstated in March following a vote by the caucus, in which Dassen supported the move calling their relationship "permanently broken". The conflict caused Dassen's approval rating among Volt voters to drop from 96% to 74% according to a poll by EenVandaag and Ipsos. An appellate court ruled in 2023 that the expulsion had been correct, reversing the lower court's decision. When the collapse of the fourth Rutte cabinet triggered a snap election for November 2023, Dassen indicated his intention to become lead candidate once again. Volt's board nominated him for the post and the party's members affirmed the decision with 98% in support. At the party conference, Dassen said radical choices are necessary to mitigate climate change and to reform the Dutch tax system. He advocated for replacing all government benefits by a limited basic income that would later be expanded to a true universal basic income. He also campaigned on a cancellati.... Discover the Laurens Valk popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Laurens Valk books.
Best Seller Laurens Valk Books of 2024
-
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel HawthorneAn Apple Books Classic edition. Hester Prynne lives in infamy. After committing adultery and bearing a child with a man whose name she refuses to divulge, the heroine of Nathaniel ...
-
The Stoic Mind
Addy Osmani & GoLimitlesssDiscover the timeless wisdom of Stoicism in a modern context with "The Stoic Mind," an enlightening visual guide by Addy Osmani and GoLimitlesss. This rich exploration co...
-
Think and Grow Rich
Greg Habstritt & Napoleon HillThink and Grow Rich is one of the most popular success book of alltime, having sold more than 60 million copies since it was first published more than 70...
-
A Christmas Carol
Charles DickensAn Apple Books Classic edition. It’s Christmas Eve in Victorian England. While some families don’t know where their next meal will come from, Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his large hom...
-
Teach Me
Cassandra DeanFrom awardwinning author Cassandra Dean comes a tale where lessons of pleasure between a curious, sunshine widow and a dissolute, grumpy earl leads to passion and allconsuming love...
-
The Target
Lexy TimmsWhen you seek revenge be sure to dig two graves… Revenge was the only thing I had going for me. It kept me awake at night and drove me into desperate situations in dive bars across...
-
Escape, A New Life
David J AntocciTo save herself, she had to lose everything. Trapped in a tropical paradise with no memory of how she got there, Abby is thrust into a fight for her life. Hunted by a madman, and c...
-
The Four Loves
C. S. LewisThe Four Loves summarizes four kinds of human loveaffection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God. Masterful without being magisterial, this book's wise, gentle, candi...
-
Dracula
Bram StokerAn Apple Books Classic edition. Few characters have seized readers’ imaginations quite like Count Dracula of Transylvania, the hero of Bram Stoker’s classic. The 1897 novel put vam...
-
Awaken Me
Jenna JacobHe was more than a ghost haunting my dreams…he was real. By day, I’m Julianna Garrett …a prim, proper accountant. By night, I’m tormented by dreams of an alpha, ambereyed Adonis wh...
-
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott FitzgeraldAn Apple Books Classics edition. The Roaring Twenties are in full effect in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s riveting classic. Manabouttown Jay Gatsby seems to have it all, including loads of...
-
Hard Love
Peyton BanksHe was football royalty. Legendary quarterback. A champion.  Reiner Strickland had led his team to three national championships and playing a knight in shining armor was a...
-
The Odyssey
HomerAn Apple Books Classic edition. Homer’s eighthcentury epic poem is a companion to The Iliad . It tells the story of Odysseus, who journeys by ship for 10 years after the Trojan War...
-
Death at Hazel House
Betty Rowlands‘Riveting, can't put it down! I love this story… a wonderfully twisted tale of a crime that has more twists than I thought possible... fantastic.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ...
-
Hot Off the Press
Lexy Timms"This is what really happened… reported by a free press, for a free people…" Wes Shaw leads a secret double life. As the secret owner of a billion dollar newspap...
-
Holy Bible
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe 2013 edition of the Holy Bible contains all of the study aids contained in the 1979 edition and includes revisions to the study aids, several new photos, updated maps, and adju...
-
His Own Heaven
Jennie KewWinner of the 2021 Passionate Plume Award for BDSM Romance Finalist in the 2021 Stiletto Contest for Contemporary Romance He taught her to trust, she taught him to love. Lucy Bar...
-
Silver Santa
Lacey SilksTrapped together on Christmas, their unintended onenight stand becomes a lifechanging encounter amidst the snow. Laura Young's professional role as a security guard at the Sil...
-
His Girl Next Door
Khardine GrayFrom USA Today Bestselling author Khardine Gray comes a sizzling hot single dad romance you won't want to miss. No strings attached fun with the ubergorgeous single d...
-
Salvation
Meghan O'FlynnIf you like mouthy detectives, serial killers, and suspenseful mysteries that don't quit, this chilling and actionpacked hardboiled detective series has you covered! Try this ...
-
Meditations
Emperor of Rome Marcus AureliusMeditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161–180 CE, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.
-
Assisting the Bosshole
Kristin MacQueenNo hot water? Check Missed the train? Check Broke my heel? Check Dropped my coffee? Check My first day of my new job can’t possibly go worse, right? Wrong. When I meet Parker Scott...
-
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre DumasAn Apple Books Classic edition. Alexandre Dumas’ classic paints a portrait of Edmond Dantès, a dark and calculating man who is willing to wait years to exact his perfect plan for r...
-
A Green Kind of Witch
Sierra CrossCinderella crossed with Mean Girls.   That's what Hazel's daily existence feels like. Born to a family of elegant yet shallow Beige Witches, seventeen y...
-
Man In The Water
Jon HillAn attempted murder. A missing spouse. And an international conspiracy that could change the world. Jack Green has always been skeptical of socalled facts. Though he's forced ...
-
Always Yours
Claire RayeSome things are just meant to be... Ellen Somerville and Will McIntyre met by accident and under unusual circumstances. Getting sprayed by a skunk in a parking lot wouldn’t normall...
-
Once Upon A One-Night Stand
Zoey LockeAt first sight, there was electrifying chemistry.  So why not go for it? After all, Lynx Grove, the city's most eligible bachelor, wants to claim her, at least for th...
-
The Next Girl
Carla KovachIF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK THIS YEAR, MAKE IT THE NEXT GIRL... You thought he’d come to save you. You were wrong. ‘ Absolutely the best thriller I’ve read this year! ’ Goodreads Rev...
-
Pretty Little Lies
Ivy ThornFour years ago, Nicolo Marchetti took my innocence. But he left me with something else Nicolo almost took everything from me. My virginity, my reputation, and very nearly my future...
-
Tempting the King
Jessa YorkAn escaped Mafia Queen, hiding from her past. A Mafia King who wants to claim her… Giselle They think I'm lostbut I know better. I can never be found. The path I've creat...
-
The Seduction Series Boxset
Roxy Sloane“Sensual, thrilling and wild!”   Discover the bestselling series in one collection: THE SEDUCTION, THE BARGAIN, and THE INVITATION. Perfect for fans of Ana Huang, Sierra S...
-
Pride and Prejudice
Jane AustenAn Apple Books Classic edition. Jane Austen’s beloved classic opens with this witty and very memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possessio...
-
Finding Cinderella
Colleen Hoover#1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and It Ends With Us writes a free novella about the search for happily ever after. A chance encounter in the dark leads ei...
-
Dark Psychology and Manipulation
Margaret MorrisonTHE MENTAL MANIPULATOR WILL NO LONGER KEEP SECRETS FROM YOU! Are you fed up with the wool being pulled over your eyes?Are you prepared to stand up to those who believe they can man...
-
Saltwater Cove
Amelia AddlerSecond chances...and the secrets that sabotage them. At 48 years old, Margie Clifton never expected to be starting her life all over again. But when her brother gifts her a propert...
-
The Cupcake Cottage
Jean OramNHL player Maverick Blades could fall in love with anyone... But he had to fall for a woman who falls under the Bro Code as untouchablehis best friend’s beautiful ex, DaisyMae Ray....
-
School of Potential
W.J. MayUSA Today Bestselling author, W.J. May brings you a continuation of the international bestselling series, The Chronicles of Kerrigan! Come back and enjoy the famous characters, or ...
-
Never Enough
Lexy TimmsBe good enough never is... Anthony Accardi is a man on a mission: make his father's watch company a success while bringing in millions of dollars. To do that, he needs an assi...
-
Enemies With Benefits
Roxie NoirI don’t love him. I don’t even like him. I just want him. Eli Loveless was my nemesis from the first day of kindergarten until we graduated high school. Everything I did, he had to...
-
Inception of Gold
Lexy TimmsThings are not as bad as they seem. They are worse. Being the personal assistant to a narcissistic actress who just happens to own the key to my family's undoing isn't ex...
-
Good Guy
Kate MeaderHe's a Special Forces veteran making his pro hockey debut. She's a dogged sports reporter determined to get a scoop. She's also his best friend's widow . . . Fa...
-
Rogue Alpha
Kimber WhiteOne touch made her crave him. But the pull of fate could be the path to ruin. College student Laura Prince lands a plum internship deep in the Michigan wilderness. When she discove...
-
Bewitching a Highlander
Roma CordonDefying all for the love of a bewitching lass. Breena MacRae, a healer from Skye with a touch of witchery in her blood, embarks on a dangerous search for her missing father. She ar...
-
Masters of Restraint
Ines JohnsonMy new boss is good at giving orders. But his latest demand is NSFW. Especially when his two business partners want in on our deal. My new boss My boss’s boss Their investor &#...
-
Law of Attraction
Jordan HollisHow to Finally Overcome the Hurdles of Manifesting Proven, effective and enjoyable ways to help you manifest faster… Right now, think of something that makes you successful. If you...
-
Just Me
Lexy TimmsWe all need somewhere where we feel safe… After leaving her abusive husband, Katherine Marshall is out on her own for the first time. She's hopped from city to city to avoid t...
-
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank BaumAn Apple Books Classic edition. You’ve seen the iconic 1939 movie, but do you know about the talking field mice, the Winkies, and the Witch of the North that appear in the original...
-
Little Women
Louisa May AlcottAn Apple Books Classic edition. Meet the Marches! Louisa May Alcott’s classic introduces us to four unforgettable sisters: beautiful Meg, tomboyish Jo, delicate Beth, and Amy, the ...
-
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan DoyleAn Apple Books Classic You get not one, not two, but 25 gripping mysteries in Arthur Conan Doyle’s first of five collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. Follow the brilliant ...
-
All Fired Up
Kathryn ShayCaptain Jarek Zenko, a war veteran and firefighter, meets Lacey Roth at a bar one night. They don’t share their real identities, even when they retreat to a hotel. When they meet t...