Hans Wiegel

Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel
	Wiegel in 1977
Member of the Senate
	In office; 13 June 1995 – 1 April 2000
Parliamentary group	People's Party for ; Freedom and Democracy
Queen's Commissioner ; of Friesland
	In office; 16 June 1982 – 1 February 1994
Monarch	Beatrix
Preceded by	Hedzer Rijpstra
Succeeded by	Loek Hermans
Deputy Prime Minister
	In office; 19 December 1977 – 11 September 1981
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Gaius de Gaay Fortman
Succeeded by	Joop den Uyl ; Jan Terlouw
Minister of the Interior
	In office; 19 December 1977 – 11 September 1981
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Gaius de Gaay Fortman
Succeeded by	Ed van Thijn
Parliamentary leader in the ; House of Representatives
	In office; 25 August 1981 – 20 April 1982
Preceded by	Koos Rietkerk
Succeeded by	Ed Nijpels
	In office; 6 July 1971 – 19 December 1977
Preceded by	Molly Geertsema
Succeeded by	Koos Rietkerk
Parliamentary group	People's Party for ; Freedom and Democracy
Leader of the People's Party ; for Freedom and Democracy
	In office; 1 July 1971 – 20 April 1982
Deputy	See list Molly Geertsema (1971–1973) ; Harm van Riel (1973–1976) ; Haya van Someren (1976–1980) ; Koos Rietkerk (1977–1982);
Preceded by	Molly Geertsema
Succeeded by	Ed Nijpels
Member of the House ; of Representatives
	In office; 25 August 1981 – 1 May 1982
	In office; 18 April 1967 – 19 December 1977
Parliamentary group	People's Party for ; Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born	Hans Wiegel; 16 July 1941 (age 83); Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for ; Freedom and Democracy ; (from 1963)
Spouses	; Pien Frederiks (26) (m. 1973; died 1980) ; Marianne Frederiks (53) (m. 1982; died 2005)
Domestic partner	Madelon Spoor (2006–2010)
Children	Erik Wiegel (born 1975) ; Marieke Wiegel (born 1977)
Residence(s)	Oudega, Netherlands ; The Hague, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam ; (Candidate)
Occupation	Politician; businessperson; corporate director; nonprofit director; trade association executive; lobbyist; political pundit; columnist; author;
Signature

Hans Wiegel (Dutch pronunciation: [ɦɑns ˈʋiɣəl]; born 16 July 1941) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman.

Wiegel studied Law at the University of Amsterdam before switching to Political science obtaining a Bachelor of Social Science degree and worked as a freelance political pundit from July 1965 until April 1967. Wiegel also served as chairman of the political youth organisation JOVD from November 1965 until October 1966. Wiegel became a Member of the House of Representatives shortly after election of 1967 taking office on 18 April 1967 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Local Government Affairs. After the election of 1971 Party Leader and Parliamentary leader Molly Geertsema was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior in the Cabinet Biesheuvel I announced he was stepping down and Wiegel was anonymously selected as his successor taking office on 1 July 1971. For the elections of 1972 and 1977 Wiegel served as Lijsttrekker (top candidate) and following a successful cabinet formation with Christian-democratic Leader Dries van Agt 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 again served as Lijsttrekker but the following cabinet formation resulted in a coalition between the Christian-democrats and Labour Party and he returned to the House of Representatives as Parliamentary leader on 25 August 1981. In April 1982 Wiegel unexpectedly announced he was stepping down as Leader following his nomination as the next Queen's Commissioner of Friesland and endorsed rising star Ed Nijpels as his successor and was installed Queen's Commissioner serving from 16 June 1982 until 1 February 1994. Wiegel also became active in the private and public sectors as a corporate and non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government, and worked as a trade association executive serving as Chairman of the Dutch Brewers association from August 1984 until November 2012, the Dutch Healthcare Insurance association from February 1994 until February 2012 and the Dutch Travel Companies association from May 1994 until June 1995 and as vice chairman of the Industry and Employers confederation (VNO-NCW) from May 2008 until February 2012. Wiegel continued to be active in politics and was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1995 taking office on 13 June 1995 serving as a frontbencher and chairing the parliamentary committees for General Affairs and the Interior and as spokesperson for the Interior, Governmental Reforms and the Royal Family. In March 2000 Wiegel unexpectedly announced his retirement and resigned from the Senate on 1 April 2000.

Wiegel semi-retired from active politics at 58 but continued to be active in the private and public sectors as a corporate and non-profit director and lobbyist, and worked as a occasional mediator for coalition agreements and political crisis's and as a political pundit and columnist for De Telegraaf, Algemeen Dagblad and WNL. Wiegel was known for his abilities as a skillful debater and effective negotiator and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until he suffered a minor stroke in August 2019 which forced him to undergo rehabilitation. He holds the distinction as the second youngest-serving Party Leader and Parliamentary leader at the age of 29 years, 350 days and the youngest-serving Deputy Prime Minister at the age of 36 years, 146 days.^[1]

Early life

President of Cameroon Ahmadou Ahidjo and Deputy Prime Minister Hans Wiegel during a meeting at the Catshuis on 5 July 1979.

Hans Wiegel was born on 16 July 1941 in Amsterdam in the Province of North Holland in a secular family as the only son of Wilhelm Wiegel III (born 21 March 1913 in Amsterdam) and Sophia Maria Alberdina Smolenaars (born 3 November 1915 in Cimahi in the Dutch East Indies). After completing gymnasium in Hilversum in 1959, Wiegel started studying law at the University of Amsterdam. After a couple of months he switched his major to political science and earned a Candidate degree in 1965. He decided not to pursue a master's degree. Instead, he became involved in politics. Wiegel has been active within the youth wing of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy, of which he had been a member since 1961. In 1963 he was appointed to its national board and served as chairman from 1965 until 1966.

Politics

In 1967 Wiegel was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives. In 1971, when he was only thirty years old, he became the Leader of his party. During the period of the Cabinet Den Uyl Wiegel acted as the main Leader of the Opposition against the Cabinet and Prime Minister Joop den Uyl. In 1977 he negotiated the formation of the Cabinet Van Agt-Wiegel, in this cabinet he became Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, Wiegel prepared the constitutional revision of 1983.

In 1995 he was elected as a Member of the Senate. In 1999 Wiegel caused a short cabinet crisis by voting against the constitutional revision that would make national referendums possible. This crisis is called the Night of Wiegel. Wiegel left the Senate in 2000, soon after the Night of Wiegel. Wiegel led the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in Dutch general election of 1972, Dutch general election of 1977, and Dutch General Election of 1981. During his leadership the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy orientation shifted away from the upper class and towards the middle class and educated workers; this led to electoral success.

In 1982 Wiegel left national politics. He was awarded honorary membership of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and became Queen's Commissioner of Friesland from 16 June 1982 until 1 February 1994. During his period as Queen's Commissioner Wiegel became known as the "Oracle of Diever", because he played an important role advising the VVD and commenting on events in national politics. In 1986 Wiegel was asked to return to the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations; he refused, however.

Possible return to politics

On the evening of 6 May 2002 in Leeuwarden, he would be meeting with Pim Fortuyn, who saw a suitable Prime Minister in Wiegel. Earlier that day however, Fortuyn was assassinated in Hilversum.^[2]^[3]

In October 2005 the local branch of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in Alphen aan den Rijn called all other local branches to sign a petition to get Wiegel back in active politics. More than 90% of the branches supported this petition. Wiegel wanted to announce whether he is making a comeback or not in March/April 2006. However then leader Jozias van Aartsen stated in January 2006 that Wiegel most likely will be the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy's candidate for prime minister in the 2007 elections. In the last years the Dutch press has speculated – he rarely responds to rumors – whether Wiegel will make a comeback.

On 8 March 2006, the day after a poor showing of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the Dutch municipal elections of 2006, Wiegel issued a press statement to the effect that he will not return to Dutch politics again.^[4]

On 22 November 2007 Wiegel was announced that he should go to the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in a broad liberal movement together with the Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders, Rita Verdonk's Proud of the Netherlands and the Democrats 66. Besides Rita Verdonk none of these parties favor of this plan. On 15 September 2009 he repeated these words in the morning bulletin Goodmorning Netherlands Wiegel then called his party should seek cooperation with the Party for Freedom.^[5]

Thirty years after leaving national politics, Wiegel is still mentioned often as a potential Prime Minister. He still is very popular among People's Party for Freedom and Democracy party members in the Netherlands. He has 'threatened' to return to national politics a number of times, usually resulting in the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy going up in the polls. His opponents admonish this behaviour, implying that he is just trying to keep himself from being forgotten.^[6]^[7]

On 12 April 2010 during a broadcast of the Dutch TV program De Wereld Draait Door Wiegel humoristic joked to be the best Prime Minister the Netherlands never had. That view was shared by politician Joost Eerdmans on Wiegel's seventieth birthday.^[8] On 29 May 2012 in an interview with the Algemeen Dagblad he expressed criticism on the agreement the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Christian Democratic Appeal made with the Democrats 66, GreenLeft and ChristianUnion on the budgetary crisis and called it "a serious strategic error".^[9]^[10]

Personal

Wiegel married his first wife Jacqueline Francina "Pien" Frederiks (born 9 September 1954) on 1 June 1973. He had two children with her, Erik (born 1975) and Marieke (born 1977). On 6 November 1980 tragedy struck when Pien Frederiks died of complications from suffering a car crash, she was twenty-six years old. She left her two young children behind Erik (five) and Marieke (three). On 7 April 1982 Wiegel quietly remarried to his late wife's older sister Marianne Frederiks (born 21 September 1951). On 6 January 2005 tragedy struck again for the now sixty-three-year-old Wiegel when, in a sad twist of fate, Marianne Frederiks died in a car crash at the age of fifty-three. From 2006 until 2010 Wiegel had a relationship with Madelon Spoor. Wiegel currently lives in a farm in Oudega, a small town in the municipality Súdwest-Fryslân in the Province of Friesland, he also owns a Pied-à-terre in The Hague.

On 6 August 2019 Wiegel announced that he had suffered a light stroke at his home and that he would be undergoing rehabilitation in the next few months.^[11]

Decorations

Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
Honours
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	26 October 1981
	Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	20 January 1994	Elevated from Commander (28 April 1989)
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown	Belgium	1998
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit	Spain	2002
Awards
Ribbon bar	Awards	Organization	Date	Comment
	Honorary Member	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	14 May 1982

References

^ (in Dutch) Wiegel houdt belofte van terugkeer levend, Trouw, 24 February 2005
^ (in Dutch) HET KABINET-WIEGEL/FORTUYN, Volkskrant, 19 January 2002
^ (in Dutch) Wiegel en Fortuyn hadden het kabinet al uitgetekend; en andere markante herinneringen aan Pim, Volkskrant, 17 April 2012
^ (in Dutch) Hans Wiegel keert niet terug in de politiek, Nova, 8 March 2006
^ (in Dutch) Wiegel pleit voor samenwerking VVD en PVV, NU.nl, 15 September 2009
^ (in Dutch) VVD-coryfee Hans Wiegel is terug., NU.nl, 20 October 2006
^ (in Dutch) Johan Fretz: 'Diep van binnen hoopt Hans Wiegel dat zijn kameraden hem bellen', NU.nl, 30 May 2012
^ (in Dutch) Hans Wiegel 70 jaar: de beste premier die Nederland nooit had, WNL, 20 July 2011
^ (in Dutch) Wiegel Kunduz-akkoord 'strategische fout' van VVD, Algemeen Dagblad, 29 May 2012
^ (in Dutch) Hans Wiegel: Mark Rutte heeft een grote blunder gemaakt, Welingelichte Kringen, 29 May 2012
^ "Hans Wiegel getroffen door herseninfarct" (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.

External links

Official

(in Dutch) H. (Hans) Wiegel Parlement & Politiek
(in Dutch) H. Wiegel (VVD) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal

Party political offices
Preceded by Molly Geertsema	Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 1971–1982	Succeeded by Ed Nijpels
	Lijsttrekker of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 1972 • 1977 • 1981	Succeeded by Ed Nijpels
	Parliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives 1971–1977 1981–1982	Succeeded by Koos Rietkerk
Preceded by Koos Rietkerk		Succeeded by Ed Nijpels
Political offices
Preceded by Gaius de Gaay Fortman	Deputy Prime Minister 1977–1981	Succeeded by Joop den Uyl
	Deputy Prime Minister 1977–1981	Succeeded by Jan Terlouw
	Minister of the Interior 1977–1981	Succeeded by Ed van Thijn
Preceded by Hedzer Rijpstra	Queen's Commissioner of Friesland 1982–1994	Succeeded by Loek Hermans
Civic offices
Preceded by Wim Schut	Chairman of the Supervisory board of the Advisory Council for Spatial Planning 1983–1991	Succeeded by Pieter Winsemius
Preceded by Unknown	Chairman of the Supervisory board of Staatsbosbeheer 1998–2008	Succeeded by Elco Brinkman
Business positions
Preceded by Office established	Chairman of the Executive Board of the Brewing association 1984–2012	Succeeded by Tjapko Poppens
Preceded by Herman Hamminga van Kloz	Chairman of the Executive Board of the Healthcare Insurance organisation 1994–1995	Succeeded by Himself as Chairman of the Healthcare Insurance association
Preceded by Himself as Chairman of the Healthcare Insurance organisation	Chairman of the Executive Board of the Healthcare Insurance association 1995–2012	Succeeded by André Rouvoet
Preceded by Henk de Korver	Chairman of the Supervisory board of Grontmij 1998–2006	Succeeded by Frank Meysman
Preceded by Office established	Chairman of the Supervisory board of the Nationale Vacaturebank 2002–2012	Succeeded by Unknown
Preceded by Ed van Thijn	Chairman of the Executive Board of the Travel Companies association 2003–2004	Succeeded by Peter van Vliet
Preceded by Elco Brinkman	Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of the Industry and Employers confederation 2008–2012	Succeeded by Maxime Verhagen
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by Reinier Heyting	Chairman of the Executive Board of the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy 1965–1966	Succeeded by Gerard van der Meer
Preceded by Ruud Lubbers	Chairman of the Supervisory board of the Energy Research Centre 2005–2013	Succeeded by Paul de Krom
Academic offices
Preceded by Unknown	Chairman of the Education Board of the Leeuwarden University of Applied Sciences 1990–1995	Succeeded by Unknown
Preceded by Office established	Chairman of the Education Board of the School for Public Administration 1989–1993	Succeeded by Unknown
Honorary titles
Preceded by Henk Korthals 1976	Honorary Chairman of the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy 1999–present	Incumbent