Mariëtte Hamer has been President of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) since September 2014. The SER is an advisory body in which employers, employees and experts reach agreement on social and economic issues. The SER advises the Dutch Government and Parliament and facilitates agreements, such as the Dutch Energy Agreement. In 1984, Ms Hamer was the founder and first chair of the National Union of Students. From 1998 to September 2014, she was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives, including three years as parliamentary leader of her party, the Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA). She also served as deputy speaker of the House.
Young people’s education and their access to the labour market, as well as emancipation issues, have always been important themes in the work of Mariette Hamer. This is why she supports the activities of the European Youth Parliament in the Netherlands since 2020.