Hans van Mierlo

His Excellency Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo in 1981
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998 Serving with Hans Dijkstal
Prime Minister	Wim Kok
Preceded by	Wim Kok
Succeeded by	Annemarie Jorritsma Els Borst
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998
Prime Minister	Wim Kok
Preceded by	Pieter Kooijmans
Succeeded by	Jozias van Aartsen
Member of the Senate
In office 13 September 1983 – 4 June 1986
Parliamentary group	Democrats 66
Minister of Defence
In office 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Pieter de Geus
Succeeded by	Job de Ruiter
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 3 June 1986 – 22 August 1994
Preceded by	Maarten Engwirda
Succeeded by	Gerrit-Jan Wolffensperger
In office 23 February 1967 – 1 September 1973
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Jan Terlouw
Parliamentary group	Democrats 66
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 19 May 1998 – 18 August 1998
In office 3 June 1986 – 22 August 1994
In office 23 February 1967 – 8 June 1977
Parliamentary group	Democrats 66
Leader of the Democrats 66
In office 25 January 1986 – 15 February 1998
Preceded by	Maarten Engwirda
Succeeded by	Els Borst
In office 14 October 1966 – 1 September 1973
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Jan Terlouw
Chairman of the Democrats 66
In office 14 October 1966 – 16 February 1967
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Gerben Ringnalda
Personal details
Born	Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva van Mierlo (1931-08-18)18 August 1931 Breda, Netherlands
Died	11 March 2010(2010-03-11) (aged 78) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cause of death	Hepatitis
Political party	Democrats 66 (from 1966)
Spouse(s)	Anna Los ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1963)​ Olla van Maasdijk ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1984)​ Connie Palmen ​ ​ (m. 2009;  2011)​
Domestic partner(s)	Gretta Nieuwenhuizen (1985–1986) Aafke van der Made (1987–1997) Connie Palmen (1999–2009)
Children	1 son (first marriage) 2 daughters (second marriage)
Alma mater	Radboud University Nijmegen (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Jurist · Journalist · Editor · Editor · Author · Political pundit · Television producer · Nonprofit director · Activist
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Army
Years of service	1952–1954 (Conscription) 1954–1961 (Reserve)
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Regiment van Heutsz
Battles/wars	Cold War

Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo (Dutch pronunciation: ['hans fan 'mirlo]; 18 August 1931 – 11 March 2010) was a Dutch politician and co-founder of the Democrats 66 (D66) party and journalist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 24 October 1998.

Van Mierlo applied at the Radboud University Nijmegen in June 1954 majoring in Law and obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1956 before graduating with an Master of Laws degree in July 1960. Van Mierlo worked as an editor for the Algemeen Handelsblad from August 1960 until January 1967. On 14 October 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters co-founded the Democrats 66 (D'66) party after continuing frustrations with The Establishment parties and their dealings with the Counterculture of the 1960s. Van Mierlo was elected as the first Leader of the Democrats 66 and Chairman of the Democrats 66 and became the Lijsttrekker (top candidate) of the Democrats 66 for the election of 1967. After the election the Democrats 66 entered the House of Representatives with 7 seats. Van Mierlo was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives and became the Parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives, taking office on 23 February 1967. For the election of 1971 Van Mierlo served again as Lijsttrekker. The Democrats 66 made a small win, gaining 4 seats and now had 11 seats in the House of Representatives. For the election of 1972 Van Mierlo served for a third time as Lijsttrekker. The Democrats 66 suffered a big loss, losing 5 seats and now had 6 seats in the House of Representatives. The following cabinet formation of 1972 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Democrats 66, the Labour Party (PvdA), the Catholic People's Party (KVP), the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Political Party of Radicals (PPR) which formed the Cabinet Den Uyl with Van Mierlo opting to remain in the House of Representatives instead of accepting a cabinet post in the new cabinet and continued to serve in the House of Representatives. On 1 September 1973 Van Mierlo announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives in favor of Jan Terlouw taking responsibility for the defeat in the election but continued to serve as a frontbencher. In February 1977 Van Mierlo announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1977 and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 8 June 1977.

Van Mierlo semi-retired from active politics and became active in the public sector and worked as a nonprofit director for a development aid foundation from October 1977 until September 1981 and as a television producer for the VARA from January 1980 until September 1981. After the election of 1981 Van Mierlo was appointed as Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Van Agt II, taking office on 11 September 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt II fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Van Agt III with Van Mierlo continuing as Minister of Defence, taking office on 29 May 1982. In June 1982 Van Mierlo announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1982. The Cabinet Van Agt III was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers I following the cabinet formation of 1982 on 4 November 1982. Van Mierlo remained in active politics, he was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1983, taking office on 13 September 1983.

In November 1985 Van Mierlo announced that he would re-seek the Democrats 66 leadership. Van Mierlo was unopposed in his candidacy and was elected as Leader a second time and became the Lijsttrekker for the election of 1986 on 25 January 1986. The Democrats 66 made a small win, gaining 3 seats and now had 9 seats in the House of Representatives. Van Mierlo subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary leader, taking office on 3 June 1986. For the election of 1972 Van Mierlo served for a fifth time as Lijsttrekker. The Democrats 66 made a small win, gaining again 3 seats and now had 12 seats in the House of Representatives. For the election of 1994 Van Mierlo served for the sixth and last time as Lijsttrekker. The Democrats 66 made a large win, gaining 12 seats and now had 24 seats in the House of Representatives. The Following cabinet formation of 1994 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Democrats 66, the Labour Party and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) which formed the Cabinet Kok I with Van Mierlo appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 22 August 1994. In March 1997 Van Mierlo announced that he was stepping down as Leader and that he wouldn't run as Lijsttrekker for the election of 1998 but that he would stand for the election of 1998. After the election Van Mierlo subsequently returned again as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 19 May 1998. Following the cabinet formation of 1998 Van Mierlo per his own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet Kok I was replaced by the Cabinet Kok II on 3 August 1998. Shortly after installation of the new cabinet Van Mierlo announced his retirement from national politics, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 18 August 1998.

Early life

Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva van Mierlo was born on 18 August 1931 in Breda in the province of North Brabant in a Roman Catholic family as the second child of eight children of Anthonius Alphonsus Marie van Mierlo (born 9 May 1902) and Adriana Maria Francisca van der Schrieck (born 3 April 1905). After receiving his diploma Gymnasium-A at the Canisius College in Nijmegen he studied at the Radboud University Nijmegen, where he received a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degree in 1960. After graduating, he became a journalist for the NRC Handelsblad and worked as a managing editor from 1960 until 1967, first as an editor Home Affairs, later as the opinion page's chief editor.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns and Parliamentary leader Hans van Mierlo during a meeting in the Ridderzaal on 23 February 1967.

Parliamentary leader Hans van Mierlo and Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party Wim Kok during a debate in the House of Representatives on 13 September 1989.

Hans van Mierlo, Els Borst and Leader of the Democrats 66 Alexander Pechtold during party conference in Breda on 7 November 2009.

Politics

Party foundation

In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66 party after continuing frustrations with The Establishment parties. Van Mierlo was selected as Leader and Chairman of the Democrats 66 on 14 October 1966. For the Dutch general election of 1967 Van Mierlo was the lijsttrekker (top candidate) and won seven seats in the House of Representatives, the first time the Democrats 66 won representation in the States General of the Netherlands.

Van Mierlo was elected as a member of the House of Representatives and the parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House on 23 February 1967. For the Dutch general elections of 1971 Van Mierlo again as lijsttrekker won eleven seats. For the Dutch general election of 1972 Van Mierlo for the third time as lijsttrekker won only six seats but after a long formation period a coalition agreement with the Labour Party (PvdA), Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Political Party of Radicals (PPR) was made which formed the Cabinet Den Uyl.

Hans Gruijters became Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning. Because of the disappointing election results Van Mierlo resigned as parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives and Leader of the Democrats 66 on 1 September 1973. Van Mierlo remained a member of the House until after the Dutch general election of 1977 on 8 June 1977.

Cabinet of Dries van Agt

After the Dutch general election of 1981 Van Mierlo was asked by Jan Terlouw to become Minister of Defence in the Second Van Agt cabinet under Prime Minister Dries van Agt of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and served from 11 September 1981 until 4 November 1982. After the Dutch Senate election of 1983 Van Mierlo was elected as a Senator serving from 13 September 1983 until 4 June 1986.

In 1986 Van Mierlo staged a political comeback and was reelected as Leader of the Democrats 66 on 25 January 1986. For the Dutch general election of 1986 Van Mierlo back as lijsttrekker won nine seats. For the Dutch general election of 1989 Van Mierlo again as lijsttrekker won twelve seats. For the Dutch general election of 1994 Van Mierlo for the sixth time as Lijsttrekker won twenty four seats and the Democrats 66 became major-party in the House of Representatives.

Cabinet of Wim Kok

After an arduous cabinet formation with the Labour Party and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) a deal was struck that resulted in the First Kok cabinet with Van Mierlo becoming Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs serving from 22 August 1994 until 3 August 1998.

The First Kok cabinet was considered groundbreaking in Dutch politics because it was the first Cabinet of the Netherlands since 1908 without a Christian democratic party. On 7 March 1997 Van Mierlo announced his retirement as Leader of the Democrats 66. Van Mierlo remained Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs until the Second Kok cabinet was installed on 3 August 1998. For the Dutch general election of 1998 Van Mierlo was reelected to the House of Representatives on 19 May 1998 but resigned on 18 August 1998.

Convention on the Future of Europe

Van Mierlo semi-retired from active politics on his sixty-seventh birthday. He served as the first Dutch representative to the Convention on the Future of Europe from 1 March 2002 until 26 September 2002. Following the end of his active political career, Van Mierlo occupied numerous seats on supervisory boards on cultural organizations.

Personal

He was appointed Minister of State on October 24, 1998, a mainly honorary title for politicians with an extensive history of government service. Hans van Mierlo has been married three times. He has a son from his first marriage and two daughters from the second. Since 1999 Van Mierlo had a relationship with the Dutch writer Connie Palmen; they got married on 11 November 2009, in Amsterdam.

Death

Hans van Mierlo died on 11 March 2010 at the age of 78; he had been living with a transplanted liver since 2000 which was required after liver failure as a consequence of a hepatitis C contamination contracted from a blood transfusion in 1982.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	10 December 1982
	Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	30 December 1982
	Commander of the Legion of Honour	France	12 February 1999
	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit	Germany	30 May 2003
Honorific Titles
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Minister of State	Netherlands	24 October 1998	Style of Excellency

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Mr. H.A.F.M.O. (Hans) van Mierlo Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Mr. H.A.F.M.O. van Mierlo (D66) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal