Jozias van Aartsen

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Jozias Johannes van Aartsen (Script error: No such module "IPA".;Template:Efn born 25 December 1947) is a retired Dutch politician who served as Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from 2004 to 2006.

A native of The Hague, he attended the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet from April 1960 until May 1968 and applied at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in June 1968 majoring in Law and obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree in July 1970. Van Aartsen served as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries (1994–1998) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1998–2002) under Prime Minister Wim Kok, as well as Mayor of The Hague from 2008 until 2017.

Early life

Jozias Johannes van Aartsen was born on 25 December 1947 in The Hague, son of Jan van Aartsen, a politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP). He served as Minister of Transport and Water Management, Minister of Housing and Construction and Queen's Commissioner of Zeeland. After completing the Gymnasium-a he studied law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. At the age of 22 van Aartsen moved to The Hague to work in politics.

Politics

File:Obama visits Gemeentemuseum.jpg
Mayor of the Hague Jozias van Aartsen, Director Benno Tempel and President of the United States Barack Obama during a visit at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag on 25 March 2014.

When Hans Wiegel became party leader, in 1971, Van Aartsen was asked to work for Wiegel as employee of the party in the House of Representatives. In 1974 he became director-general of the Telders Foundation, the scientific institute of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Van Aartsen worked as a political consultant for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from July 1970 until August 1974 and as the director of the Telders Foundation think tank from August 1974 until February 1979. Van Aartsen worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of the Interior from February 1979 until August 1994 as Deputy Director-General of the department for Administrative Affairs from February 1979 until April 1981 and as Director-General of the department for Administrative Affairs from April 1981 until July 1983 and as Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior from July 1983 until January 1985 and as Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior from January 1985 until August 1994.

In 1978 Van Aartsen became Chef de Bureau of the Secretary General of Interior. He did this under Ministers Rietkerk, Van Dijk, De Korte, De Koning, Dales and De Graaf. In 1985 he became Secretary General of Interior himself. After the election of 1994 he was made the Minister of Agriculture from 1994 to 1998 in the First Kok cabinet. After the election of 1998 in the Second Kok cabinet he was made the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When the cabinet fell as a direct result of the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies report about the fall of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War, he became parliamentary leader in the lower house of the States General.

On 1 April 2004 an attempt was made to run over Van Aartsen by a car when he and a co-worker were doing a photo shoot in front of Hotel Des Indes in The Hague. Van Aartsen was not hurt but the co-worker did sustain a shoulder injury. The assailant, a 41-year-old lawyer by the name of Frederiek de Jongh and an employee of Bureau Rechtshulp in Utrecht confessed her action was politically motivated.[1]

Van Aartsen stepped down as VVD Leader in 2006; in a letter to the newly elected party leader Mark Rutte, he however expressed his disappointment with the demise of the Second Balkenende cabinet which in his view was uncalled for. He also warned for VVD interparty warring between a populist fraction with a no-nonsense attitude and focus on tax cuts and law and order and a liberal fraction focused on personal freedoms, rule of law, international orientation and education. Jozias van Aartsen is a member of the Bilderberg Group.

He served as Mayor of The Hague from 2008 to 2017. He then took two acting positions: as King's Commissioner of the province of Drenthe and as Mayor of the capital Amsterdam.[2]

Personal life

Van Aartsen retired from national politics but has remained active in the public sector and continues to occupy numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Van Aartsen is known for his abilities as a manager and debater. Van Aartsen continues to comment on political affairs as of Template:Currentyear and holds the distinction as the only person who served as both Mayor of The Hague and Mayor of Amsterdam. His father Jan van Aartsen was also a politician who served as Minister of Transport and Water Management and Minister of Housing and Construction.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
File:Order of the Netherlands Lion (Knight) - Ribbon bar.svg Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 1 August 1994
File:BEL Order of Leopold II - Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II Belgium 15 April 2000
File:Ordre de la couronne de Chene GO ribbon.svg Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown Luxembourg 30 November 2000
File:ESP Isabella Catholic Order GC.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Spain 19 October 2001 [3]
File:NLD Order of Orange-Nassau - Grand Officer BAR.png Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 1 March 2017 Elevated from Officer (10 December 2002)

Notes

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References

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External links

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Party political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Parliamentary leader of the
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy

in the House of Representatives

2003–2006 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Leader of the People's Party
for Freedom and Democracy

2004–2006 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Minister of Agriculture,
Nature and Fisheries

1994–1998 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Minister of Foreign Affairs
1998–2002 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Mayor of The Hague
2008–2017 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check King's Commissioner of Drenthe
Acting

2017 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Mayor of Amsterdam
Acting

2017–2018 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Civic offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Director-General of the Department for
Administrative Affairs of the
Ministry of the Interior

1981–1983 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Deputy Secretary-General of the
Ministry of the Interior

1983–1985 Template:S-ttl/check
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Secretary-General of the
Ministry of the Interior

1985–1994 Template:S-ttl/check
Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chairman of the
Supervisory board of
The National Theater

2019–present Template:S-ttl/check
Incumbent

Template:Mayors of Amsterdam Template:King's and Queen's Commissioners of Drenthe Template:Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Template:Ministers of Agriculture of the Netherlands Template:Second Kok cabinet Template:First Kok cabinet Template:Authority control