Gijs de Vries
Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnote Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters". Gijsbert Marius "Gijs" de Vries (born 22 February 1956) is a retired Dutch-American politician and diplomat who served as State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 1998 to 2002 and European Union Counter-terrorism Coordinator from 2004 until 2007. He was a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) until 2010, when he joined the Democrats 66 (D66) party.
Career
Political career
From 1984 to 1998, Gijs de Vries was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for three consecutive terms. From 1994 to 1998, he was chairman of the group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.[1]
De Vries resigned from the European Parliament to become State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations under the Second Kok cabinet.
EU Anti-Terrorism Coordinator, 2004–2007
De Vries served as the European Union's anti-terrorism coordinator from March 2004 to March 2007. In this capacity, he worked for Javier Solana in the Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PJCCM) pillar. Solana outlined his duties as being to streamline, organise and co-ordinate the EU and its members fight against terrorism.
De Vries stood down from the post in March 2007, citing personal reasons, although it is commonly understood that the position's mandate did not have the necessary operational powers, as well as an overall reluctance within member states to supply information regarding anti-terror activities, even though the member states fully supported the establishment of the anti-terrorism coordinator after the 2004 Madrid train bombings.[2] In September 2007, MEPs called for the post to be filled, having been vacant for six months, as well as for it to be given real powers to carry out the post's tasks.[3] On 20 September 2007, the Belgian Gilles de Kerchove was appointed to succeed De Vries in the post.[4]
Later career
As of September 2008, De Vries was chairman of the European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF).[5]
Prior to 2010 De Vries had been a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). However, due to dissatisfaction at the VVD's decision to form the First Rutte cabinet, a minority government with the support of the Party for Freedom (PVV) led by nationalist Geert Wilders he left the party and joined the social-liberal Democrats 66 (D66) party then in opposition.[6]
In 2025, the European Commission appointed De Vries as member of its Ukraine Facility’s audit board, chaired by Marek Belka.[7]
Decorations
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Commander.svg | Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 1 March 2007 | Elevated from Knight (10 December 2002) |
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ EU anti-terror chief to step down in March Template:Webarchive, EurActiv, 13 February 2007
- ↑ Counter-terrorism sparks hot debate in EU parliament 5/9/7
- ↑ Article DetailScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
- ↑ ESRIF intermediate report Template:Webarchive, September 2008.
- ↑ Parlement en Politiek Biografie Gijs de Vrijs.
- ↑ Commission appoints members to the Ukraine Facility Audit Board European Commission, press release of 11 February 2025.
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External links
- Drs. G.M. (Gijs) de Vries Parlement & Politiek Template:In lang
Template:State Secretaries for the Interior of the Netherlands Template:European Parliament MEPs, 1984-1989 (Netherlands) by party Template:European Parliament MEPs, 1989-1994 (Netherlands) by party Template:European Parliament MEPs, 1994-1999 (Netherlands) by party Template:Second Kok cabinet Template:Authority control
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