Hugo Berkhout
Hugo A. Berkhout | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 9, 1974 Beesd, Gelderland, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Currency markets expert, politician |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Member of the Dutch Senate (2020–2023) |
Hugo A. Berkhout (born 9 April 1974) is a Dutch expert in currency markets and a political figure. He held a seat in the Senate from October 2020 until June 2023. Initially, he was affiliated with the conservative right-wing populist party Forum for Democracy, but he left the party amid internal disputes and later joined the breakaway group JA21.
Professional background outside politics
Berkhout was born in Beesd, a village located in Gelderland, and pursued higher education at a university in Amsterdam. His career includes roles at Delta Lloyd Bank, where he worked as a fixed income portfolio manager and foreign exchange trader. Between 2011 and 2019, he acted as treasurer for the Dutch chapter of the ACI Financial Markets Association and chaired the treasury committee of the Dutch Securities Institute, both prominent organizations within the financial sector.
From February 2017 through March 2019, Berkhout served as ALM, liquidity, and FX trade director at Amsterdam Trade Bank, which is owned by Alfa-Bank. Afterwards, he managed the treasury and financial institutions division at iSignthis’s fintech operations hub in Strovolos, Cyprus. In November 2020, he took on the role of partner responsible for investments and treasury services at Kylla Corporate Transactions based in Amsterdam.
Political involvement
As a member of Forum for Democracy, Berkhout participated on an advisory panel for candidate selection during the 2017 general election and was placed twenty-first on the party list. He was ranked eleventh in the 2018 Amsterdam municipal elections but did not win a council seat. In June 2018, he was appointed duoraadslid (dual member) to the Amsterdam municipal council and contributed to committees focusing on finance and economic affairs until April 2019.
During the 2019 Senate election, Berkhout appeared sixteenth on Forum for Democracy’s candidate list. Although the party secured twelve seats, he gained election through eight preferential votes; however, he declined to accept this mandate. These votes originated from Forum for Democracy members within the States of North Holland and were likely intended to prevent Robert Baljeu—the fifteenth candidate who had been expelled from the party—from taking office.
Tenure as Senator (2020–2023)
In 2020, when Senator Annabel Nanninga took parental leave, Berkhout was appointed as her temporary replacement on 26 October. Later that year in November, a controversy arose within Forum for Democracy after Het Parool disclosed extremist content circulating in the youth wing’s WhatsApp groups. On 27 November, Berkhout joined fellow Senator Bob van Pareren and three others in announcing their departure from Forum for Democracy via Twitter, citing the party’s unwillingness to repudiate racism, antisemitism, and Nazism. He formally exited the Forum for Democracy faction on 29 November and became part of Fractie-Van Pareren (which was renamed Fractie-Nanninga in February 2021), taking on the role of treasurer.
Berkhout secured a permanent Senate seat on 15 December 2020 following Paul Cliteur’s resignation amid ongoing turmoil. On 24 December, Fractie-Van Pareren aligned itself with JA21, a newly established party formed by former Forum for Democracy members. In the 2023 Dutch Senate election, Berkhout was listed eighteenth on JA21’s ticket; however, since the party won only three seats, his tenure in the Senate concluded on 13 June.
Parliamentary Committees
During his tenure as a temporary senator, Berkhout participated in committees related to Immigration and Asylum/Justice and Home Affairs, Infrastructure, Water Management and Environment, Kingdom Relations, as well as Education, Culture, and Science. Upon becoming a permanent senator, his committee involvement transitioned to Economic Affairs and Climate Policy/Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Finances, Kingdom Relations, and Social Affairs and Employment.
Personal Life
Berkhout lives in The Hague, is married, and has one daughter.