Zoë Bekker

Zoë Ana Bekker is a Dogger politician currently serving as the Premier of Zuidvis from January 2018 onwards. A member of the Zuidvis Laborers, she has been a member of the Zuidvis Parliament since 2012. Bekker previously served as Shadow Home Secretary of Zuidivis as well as the Zuidvis Parliament's Leader of the Opposition. She is the first non-Reform Alliance premier of Zuidvis for over 30 years. Bekker represents the constituency of Whitehall-Wallingham which covers the southern part of the Mistlân Metro Area.

Early Life (1983-2001)
Zoë Ana Bekker was born on July 8, 1983 in Mistlân, Zuidvis to parents Todd and Iana Bekker. Her family soon moved to the suburb of Aardegg when she was 2 months old where Bekker would live for her early life. She recalls having a relatively uneventful childhood, however, she fondly complimented how well her parents got along, despite their different ideologies and how politically active they were, with Todd, a blue-collar dockworker, being an avid supporter of the Socialist Party of Zuidvis and Iana, a secretary for a consulting firm, being a staunch conservative and a supporter of the Reform Alliance. She says they sometimes even flirted at opposing political rallies. She once remarked, "I was so openly exposed to politics in my youth, [one would] think that I would wish to pursue that. But surprisingly, no. When I was little, I always wanted to be a lawyer because I always loved to argue".

Bekker enjoyed school as a child and rose academically. She was well known for being a talented debater at a young age, winning many competitions and awards. Despite this, she had no interest in politics, instead deciding to pursue a law degree at the University of the City of Mistlân.

Education (2001-2005)
At the University of the City of Mistlân, Bekker graduated with a bachelor's degree in law with a focus on constitutional and tort law. During her attendance there, she helped found the Navigation Commons, which are publicly-owned student housing facilities. Additionally, during her time, she took an interest in history and worked part-time at the Mistlân Zoo. She says that she learned about multiple events in Dogger history, and professed that she felt ashamed of her country and its past. Bekker considers this moment when she started taking an interest in politics. She also smoked marijuana often while she was attending university. When asked if she would do it again, she said "If I had more time on my hands, definitely. I always found to relax me, [it] made me feel calm for the day". This would cause controversy in her later life.

Early Career (2005-2012)
Zoë Bekker lived with her parents for two years after she graduated, considering her career choices until she decided to become a prosecutor. She found a position at the Royal Court of Zuidvis as a junior prosecutor. She eventually rose through the ranks of the court, eventually becoming a full prosecutor in 2009. While there, Bekker worked on many important cases. The most noted case she worked on was the 2010 case, Zuidvis v. Makurt, in which former Premier of Zuidvis, Derec Makurt was indicted for money laundering, political corruption, and abuse of power. She played a leading role in prosecuting Makurt which earned her the Green Star award for "best witness testimonial" by the Zuidvis Association of Women Prosecutors.

When asked, Bekker said the most important case of her career was when Bekker's father was on trial for domestic violence in late 2010. He rather had gotten into a rage one evening and beat her mother. She was assigned the case ad was made to prosecute against her father. She expressed that it was the most heartbreaking moment of her life and that it made her a "full-grown woman." Todd Bekker was eventually charged with assault and made to serve community service along with a heavy protective charge. Thankfully, with professional help, Bekker's parents were able to reconcile after an additional 6 months.

Zoë Bekker was always interested in politics but had never considered it as possible career advancement. Despite numerous opportunities, she continued her work as a prosecutor for the Royal Court. In late 2011, she was eventually approached by the Zuidvis Laborers to run for a newly opening seat for the Zuidvis Parliament in her home district of Whitehall-Wallingham since the incumbent was retiring. The 2012 election was only a few months away. After much deliberation, Bekker took up the chance and filed her bid to run. Due to it being a very left-leaning district, her main contender was a candidate from the Zuidvis Socialist Party, Evelyn Wikkers. The battle was hard-fought throughout the following weeks, but Bekker eventually pulled ahead, winning her seat by a somewhat comfortable 6-point margin.

First Terms (2012-2015)
Zoë Bekker took office to the Zuidvis Parliament on January 19th, 2012. At the time, her party of the ZvL was in opposition with a Reform Alliance-controlled government. Nevertheless, the margin was small enough where they controlled some significant leverage.

Personal Life
Zoë Bekker currently resides in Reeve's House in Mistlân, the official house of Zuidvis Premiers. She is one of the few LGBTQ+ Dogger Provincial Premiers being married to Mistlân Zoo Director, Poppi Tijk.