Hans Wiegel, Date of Birth, Place of Birth

    

Hans Wiegel

Dutch politician

Date of Birth: 16-Jul-1941

Place of Birth: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Profession: writer, politician, columnist

Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Zodiac Sign: Cancer


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About Hans Wiegel

  • Hans Wiegel (Dutch pronunciation: ['??ns '?i??l]; born 16 July 1941) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman. Wiegel attended the Municipality Gymnasium in Hilversum from June 1953 until June 1959 and applied at the University of Amsterdam in July 1959 majoring in Law before switching to Political science and obtained an Bachelor of Social Science degree in July 1962.
  • Wiegel served as Chairman of the Executive Board of the political youth organisation Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy (JOVD) from November 1965 until October 1966. Wiegel became a Member of the House of Representatives after Mike Keyzer was appointed as State Secretary for Transport and Water Management in the Cabinet De Jong following the election of 1967, taking office on 18 April 1967 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Civil Service, Local Government Affairs and deputy spokesperson for Provincial Government Affairs.
  • After the election of 1971 the Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Parliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives Molly Geertsema was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior in the Cabinet Biesheuvel I and announced he was stepping down as Leader, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leadership approached Wiegel as his successor, Wiegel accepted and became the Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, taking office on 1 July 1971 and became Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 6 July 1971.
  • For the election of 1972 Wiegel served as Lijsttrekker (top candidate).
  • The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy made a small win, gaining 6 seats and now had 22 seats in the House of Representatives.
  • For the election of 1977 Wiegel served again as Lijsttrekker.
  • The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy made another small win, gaining 6 seats and now had 28 seats in the House of Representatives.
  • Following several failed cabinet formation attempts by incumbent Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Joop den Uyl Wiegel struck a deal with the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Dries van Agt to form a new cabinet.
  • The following cabinet formation of 1977 resulted in a coalition agreement between the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) which formed the Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel with Wiegel appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, taking office on 19 December 1977.
  • For the election of 1981 Wiegel served for a third and final time as Lijsttrekker.
  • The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy suffered a small loss, losing 2 seat and now had 26 seats in the House of Representatives.
  • Wiegel subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 25 August 1981.
  • The Cabinet Van Agt-Wiegel was replaced by the Cabinet Van Agt II following the cabinet formation of 1981 on 11 September 1981.
  • On 20 April 1982 Wiegel was nominated as the next Queen's Commissioner of Friesland and announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader and endorsed rising star Ed Nijpels as his successor and continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a backbencher, he resigned as Member of the House of Representatives on 1 May 1982 and was installed as Queen's Commissioner, serving from 16 June 1982 until 1 February 1994.
  • Wiegel also became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (ABN AMRO, Achmea, Douwe Egberts, Fries Museum, Tresoar, Fries Scheepvaart Museum, Grontmij, NOB and the Royal Tichelaar Makkum) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Advisory Council for Spatial Planning, Staatsbosbeheer and the Social and Economic Council).
  • After the death of Minister of the Interior Koos Rietkerk on 20 February 1986 Wiegel was approached to succeed him in Cabinet Lubbers I but per his own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post.
  • Wiegel also worked as a trade association executive for the Brewing association serving as Chairman of the Executive Board from August 1984 until November 2012 and the Healthcare Insurance organisation serving as Chairman of the Executive Board from February 1994 tot January 1995 and the Healthcare Insurance association serving as Chairman of the Executive Board from January 1995 until February 2012 and the Travel Companies association serving as Chairman of the Executive Board from May 1994 until June 1995 and for the Industry and Employers confederation (VNO-NCW) serving as Vice Chairman of the Executive Board from May 2008 until February 2012.
  • Wiegel was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1995, taking office on 13 June 1995 serving as a frontbencher chairing the parliamentary committee for General Affairs and the parliamentary committee for the Interior and spokesperson for General Affairs, the Interior, Civil Service, Local Government Affairs, Provincial Government Affairs, Governmental Reforms and the Royal Family.
  • On 18 May 1999 Wiegel voted against his parliamentary group by voting against a proposed constitutional revision by the Cabinet Kok II that would make national referendums possible, coalition partner Democrats 66 (D66) saw this as an indirect motion of no confidence from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the following crisis resulted in Prime Minister Wim Kok announcing the resignation of the cabinet.
  • In March 2000 Wiegel unexpectedly announced his retirement from national politics and resigned as Member of the Senate on 1 April 2000.
  • Wiegel retired after spending 33 years in national politics but remained active in the private sector and public sector and continued to occupy numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Nationale Vacaturebank, Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Energy Research Centre) and as an advocate and lobbyist for the private sector and as a mediator for coalition agreements and a political pundit and columnist for De Telegraaf, Algemeen Dagblad and WNL. Wiegel is known for his abilities as a debater and negotiator.
  • Wiegel continues to comment on political affairs as of 2019 and holds the distinction as the youngest-serving Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives at the age of 29 years, 350 days and the youngest-serving Deputy Prime Minister at the of 36 years, 146 days.

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