Silveria Jacobs

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Silveria Jacobs
Jacobs in 2023
7th Prime Minister of Sint Maarten
Assumed office
19 November 2019
MonarchWillem-Alexander
GovernorEugene Holiday
Ajamu Baly
Preceded byWycliffe Smith
Succeeded byLuc Mercelina
Personal details
Born (1968-07-31) 31 July 1968 (age 55)
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Political partyNational Alliance
Children2
Alma materUniversity of the Virgin Islands
Jacobs meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in 2022
Jacobs meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra in 2022

Silveria Elfrieda Jacobs (born 31 July 1968)[1] is a Sint Maarten politician and the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten as of 2019.[2]

Early life and education

Silveria Elfrieda Jacobs was born on 31 July 1968 on Aruba to Nadia Willemsberg. As a child, Jacobs attended the Leonald Conner School and Milton Peters College on Sint Maarten.[3] After receiving her HAVO diploma in 1986, Jacobs enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Education. Between 1992 and 2011, Jacobs worked at the Leonard Conner primary school in Philipsburg, first as a teacher and later as a student coordinator.

Career

In 2010, Jacobs joined the National Alliance (NA).[4] Between 2012 and 2013, she served as Minister of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture in the second Wescot-Williams cabinet.[5][6] She also held this office from 2015 to 2018 in the first and second Marlin cabinets.[7][8][9][10]

In 2014, she was elected a member of parliament. On 3 January 2018, she succeeded William Marlin as the NA party leader, the first woman in this position.[11] In the previous three elections Jacobs, finished overall as the second largest vote getter behind Theodore Heyliger.[12][13][14]

After the fall of the second Marlin-Romeo cabinet, a coalition agreement was reached between the National Alliance, the United St. Maarten Party and independent MPs Luc Mercelina and Chanel Brownbill. Jacobs was appointed by Governor Eugene Holiday on 30 September 2019 to form an interim cabinet that should, among other things, give priority to the completion of anti-money laundering legislation and the preparation of state elections and electoral reforms.[15] The first Jacobs cabinet was sworn in on 19 November 2019.[2]

Jacobs addressed the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Sint Maarten. She ordered an extension to travel restrictions on 11 March 2020.[16] The second Jacobs cabinet was sworn in on 28 March 2020. The second Jacobs cabinet consisted of Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Development (VROMI) Egbert Jurendy Doran; Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Rodolphe Samuel; Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion; Minister of Justice Anna Richardson; Minister of Labor and Health (VSA) Omar Ottley, Minister of Plenipotentiary Renee Violenus; Minister Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic, and Telecommunications (TEATT) Arthur Leo Lambriex. The position of Minister of TEATT was held by Richard Pannefleck, who was succeeded by Member of Parliament Ludmila de Weever. Upon MP de Weever's return to Parliament, Roger Lawrence was appointed Minister of TEATT. Subsequent to Mr. Lawrence's resignation, Arthur Leo Lambriex took on and remained in the Ministerial position for the remainder of the Jacobs 2 Cabinet tenure.

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Alliance Articles of Association" (PDF). Sint Maarten Electoral Council. p. 8.
  2. ^ a b "St. Maarten has new government". The Daily Herald. 19 November 2019.
  3. ^ "National Alliance extends condolences to Minister Silveria Jacobs on the passing of her Mother". SMN News. 5 November 2012.
  4. ^ "NA presents full slate ~ Aiming for 10 seats, Laveis included ~" (PDF). The Daily Herald. 18 August 2010. p. 1, 5.
  5. ^ "New ministers sworn in, NA-led Govt takes office". The Daily Herald. 22 May 2012.
  6. ^ "NA-led coalition loses support, new govt with UP, DP, Laville". The Daily Herald. 6 May 2013.
  7. ^ "New NA-led Cabinet to be sworn in today". The Daily Herald. 19 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Prime Minister William Marlin promised open and transparent government". SMN News. 19 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Upgrade New Governing Operating System 21.0 to secure future Growth". SMN News. 20 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Governing Programme submitted to Holiday, swearing-in on Tuesday". The Daily Herald. 16 December 2016. p. 1, 9.
  11. ^ "NA elects its first woman leader under theme 'Always Progressing'". The Daily Herald. 4 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Jacobs accepts to lead NA, to be formalised by congress". The Daily Herald. 8 November 2017.
  13. ^ "NA 5, UP 5, USP 3, DP 2". The Daily Herald. 27 September 2016.
  14. ^ "United Democrats get most seats, but coalition looms". The Daily Herald. 27 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Governor requests NA leader to form interim government". The Daily Herald. 30 September 2019.
  16. ^ Joseph, Sharine (2020-03-12). "St. Maarten extends coronavirus restrictions from 14 to 21 days". St. Lucia News Online. Retrieved 2020-04-08.