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After graduating Emelwerda College in [[Emmeloord]] Nawijn studied law at the [[Rijksuniversiteit Groningen]]. After a long career working for the Dutch ''Ministry of Justice'' he was elected in [[2002]] as a member of the [[Christen-Democratisch Appèl]] for the [[city council]] of [[Zoetermeer]]. Nawijn was an early supporter of the Dutch politician [[Pim Fortuyn]] and in 2002 when Fortuyn founded the Lijst Pim Fortuyn Nawijn earned a place on the list. Despite the [[assassination]] of Fortuyn days before the election the LPF emerged with a successful result thus bringing Nawijn into the Dutch [[Tweede Kamer|Lower House]]. He was appointed Minister for Integration and Immigration in the [[First Balkenende cabinet|first Balkenende cabinet]].
Due to the instability of the LPF following Fortuyn's death the first Balkenende cabinet lasted a short time leading to early elections in 2003. Due to Nawijn's controversial [[Conservatism|conservative]] positions such as his support of the [[death penalty]], he was placed at the bottom of the LPF's electoral list. This should have made it almost impossible for Nawijn to be reelected, however, the same statements which made him so unpopular to the political establishment won him a following among voters. Thus on election day Nawijn received enough individual votes to once again enter the Tweede Kamer.
Despite still being a member of the LPF, Nawijn often butted heads within the party. In January of 2005 he left the totally fragmented LPF with the eventual goal of founding his own political party. He also maintains good relations with the increasingly powerful [[Flanders|Flemish]] party [[Vlaams Belang]].[http://www.vlaamsbelangvlaamsparlement.org/index.php?p=persmededelingen&id=197] Together with another ex-LPF politician, [[Gerard van As]], Nawijn will enter the [[Dutch general election, 2006|2006 Dutch elections]] with the party [[Partij voor Nederland]] (''Party for the Netherlands'').
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