Dries van Agt
Encyclopedia
Andreas Antonius Maria "Dries" van Agt (ˈdris fɑn ˈɑxt; born February 2, 1931) is a retired Dutch
politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal
(CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
from December 19, 1977, until November 4, 1982.
He previously served as Minister of Justice from July 6, 1971 until September 8, 1977 in the Cabinets Biesheuvel I, II and Den Uyl. And Deputy Prime Minister
from May 11, 1973 until September 8, 1977 in the Cabinet Den Uyl. He resigned as Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister
to become the first Christian Democratic Appeal
Party leader
and the first Parliamentary leader
of the Christian Democratic Appeal
in the House of Representatives which he served from May 26, 1977 until December 19, 1977 and a Member of the House of Representatives from June 8, 1977 until December 19, 1977. Van Agt became Prime Minister of the Netherlands
, leading the Cabinets Van Agt I, II and III. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs
for his Third cabinet.
After his prime ministership, Van Agt became the Queen's Commissioner
of North Brabant
from June 1, 1983 April 22, 1987, he resigned as Queen's Commissioner
because of criticism on his performance and his cooperation with the States-Provincial
. After leaving North Brabant
, he became a diplomat for the European Communities
, serving first as ambassador to Japan
from April 1, 1987 until April, 1 1989 when he became the ambassador to the United States
until April 1, 1995.
in the Netherlands province
of North Brabant
. After receiving his diploma Gymnasium-A at the Augustinianum
he studied at the Catholic University of Nijmegen
, where he received his Doctorate in Law in 1955. After graduating, he practiced law in Eindhoven until 1957, after which he worked in the office of legal and business affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries until 1962. From 1962 to 1968, he worked for the Ministry of Justice.
, which merged with the other two major Christian Democratic parties in 1980 to form the CDA. From 1968 to 1971, Van Agt was Professor of Criminal Law at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. From 1971 to 1973, he was Minister of Justice in the government of Barend Biesheuvel
. He caused outrage when he tried to pardon the last three Nazi war criminals still in Dutch prisons
in 1972. From 1973 to 1977 he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice in the government of Joop den Uyl
.
From December 1977 to November 1982, Dries van Agt was Prime Minister of the Netherlands in three successive governments. After the resignation of his government, he remained a member of the Dutch Parliament until 1983, when he was appointed as the Queen's Commissioner
of the province North Brabant
.
Dries van Agt served as Ambassador
of the European Community to Japan
from 1987 to 1989 and to the United States
from 1989 to 1995. From 1995 to 1996, he was a Visiting Professor of International Relations at the University of Kyoto.
He is currently Prime Counsellor for the International Forum for Justice and Peace, a foundation under Dutch law, registered at the Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam
. Chaired by retired international businessman Ben Smoes, they are currently focused on justice and peace in regard to the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Van Agt is known for his use of archaic language and complicated phrasing, as well as for his love for cycling
.
about great changes in the cultural climate of north-western Europe in the past decades, becoming more hostile to religion, including Islam. Muslims, he argued, need to understand those changes in order to be able to respond better to European criticism on Islam and the Muslim world.
Van Agt has also spoken against the Council of State in Egypt for continuous delay in granting the Center for Arab West Understanding (CAWU) the NGO status. He met with prominent figures in Egypt to persuade them to do so. The Egyptian Council of State, after van Agt's visit to Cairo in 2006, ruled on February 18, 2007 that the Center for Arab-West Understanding (CAWU) should be recognized as an NGO under Egyptian law, ending its three-year struggle to obtain this status. Egypt is known for its reluctance in granting NGO status in order to discourage political participation. Cornelis Hulsman, a Dutch sociologist, the editor-in-chief of Arab-West Report, and the head of CAWU, stated that van Agt's effort significantly impacted the realization of their goals, which usually requires a lengthy amount of time and scrutiny in its political purposes.
" and turning the Palestinian Authority territories into "bantustans".
On 30 March 2007, Van Agt claimed on the Dutch radio show Argos that the new Dutch cabinet was 'muzzling' parliament with its decision to block an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dutch involvement in the Iraq war.
He urged fellow party member and prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende
not to stand in the way of the debate.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
(CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
from December 19, 1977, until November 4, 1982.
He previously served as Minister of Justice from July 6, 1971 until September 8, 1977 in the Cabinets Biesheuvel I, II and Den Uyl. And Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
from May 11, 1973 until September 8, 1977 in the Cabinet Den Uyl. He resigned as Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
to become the first Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
Party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
and the first Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
of the Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
in the House of Representatives which he served from May 26, 1977 until December 19, 1977 and a Member of the House of Representatives from June 8, 1977 until December 19, 1977. Van Agt became Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
, leading the Cabinets Van Agt I, II and III. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs: it is occupied with the external relations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including European cooperation and International development...
for his Third cabinet.
After his prime ministership, Van Agt became the Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
of North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
from June 1, 1983 April 22, 1987, he resigned as Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
because of criticism on his performance and his cooperation with the States-Provincial
States-Provincial
The States'-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance...
. After leaving North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
, he became a diplomat for the European Communities
European Communities
The European Communities were three international organisations that were governed by the same set of institutions...
, serving first as ambassador to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from April 1, 1987 until April, 1 1989 when he became the ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until April 1, 1995.
Early life
Andreas Antonius Maria van Agt was born on February 2, 1931, in GeldropGeldrop
Geldrop is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo.Geldrop was a separate municipality until 2004, when it merged with Mierlo...
in the Netherlands province
Provinces of the Netherlands
A Dutch province represents the administrative layer in between the national government and the local municipalities, having the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance. The government of each province consists of three major parts: the Provinciale Staten which is the...
of North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
. After receiving his diploma Gymnasium-A at the Augustinianum
Augustinianum
The Augustinianum is a secondary school in the municipality of Eindhoven. It offers havo and vwo. Furthermore, the "Augustinianum" is a secondary school in the municipaliy of Greven in Germany.-History:...
he studied at the Catholic University of Nijmegen
Radboud University Nijmegen
Radboud University Nijmegen is a public university with a strong focus on research in Nijmegen, the Netherlands...
, where he received his Doctorate in Law in 1955. After graduating, he practiced law in Eindhoven until 1957, after which he worked in the office of legal and business affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries until 1962. From 1962 to 1968, he worked for the Ministry of Justice.
Politics
Van Agt entered politics as a member of the Catholic People's PartyCatholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
, which merged with the other two major Christian Democratic parties in 1980 to form the CDA. From 1968 to 1971, Van Agt was Professor of Criminal Law at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. From 1971 to 1973, he was Minister of Justice in the government of Barend Biesheuvel
Barend Biesheuvel
Barend Willem Biesheuvel was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti Revolutionary Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from July 6, 1971 until May 11, 1973.He previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from...
. He caused outrage when he tried to pardon the last three Nazi war criminals still in Dutch prisons
Willy Lages
Willy Paul Franz Lages was the German chief of the Sicherheitsdienst in Amsterdam during the Second World War. From March 1941 he led the so-called Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung...
in 1972. From 1973 to 1977 he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice in the government of Joop den Uyl
Joop den Uyl
Johannes Marten den Uijl, known as Joop den Uyl was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 11, 1973 until December 19, 1977....
.
From December 1977 to November 1982, Dries van Agt was Prime Minister of the Netherlands in three successive governments. After the resignation of his government, he remained a member of the Dutch Parliament until 1983, when he was appointed as the Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
of the province North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
.
Dries van Agt served as Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of the European Community to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1987 to 1989 and to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1989 to 1995. From 1995 to 1996, he was a Visiting Professor of International Relations at the University of Kyoto.
He is currently Prime Counsellor for the International Forum for Justice and Peace, a foundation under Dutch law, registered at the Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Chaired by retired international businessman Ben Smoes, they are currently focused on justice and peace in regard to the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Van Agt is known for his use of archaic language and complicated phrasing, as well as for his love for cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
.
On Arab–West understanding
Van Agt lectured in May 2006 in Cairo at the invitation of the Egyptian electronic magazine Arab-West ReportArab-West Report
Arab-West Report is an independent electronic magazine founded by Drs. Cornelis Hulsman and Eng. Sawsan Gabra Ayoub Khalil in 1997, originally titled the Religious News Service from the Arab World...
about great changes in the cultural climate of north-western Europe in the past decades, becoming more hostile to religion, including Islam. Muslims, he argued, need to understand those changes in order to be able to respond better to European criticism on Islam and the Muslim world.
Van Agt has also spoken against the Council of State in Egypt for continuous delay in granting the Center for Arab West Understanding (CAWU) the NGO status. He met with prominent figures in Egypt to persuade them to do so. The Egyptian Council of State, after van Agt's visit to Cairo in 2006, ruled on February 18, 2007 that the Center for Arab-West Understanding (CAWU) should be recognized as an NGO under Egyptian law, ending its three-year struggle to obtain this status. Egypt is known for its reluctance in granting NGO status in order to discourage political participation. Cornelis Hulsman, a Dutch sociologist, the editor-in-chief of Arab-West Report, and the head of CAWU, stated that van Agt's effort significantly impacted the realization of their goals, which usually requires a lengthy amount of time and scrutiny in its political purposes.
On the Middle East and Dutch involvement in the Iraq War
For some years he has taken an outspoken stance regarding the Middle East, resulting in a fierce criticism of the policies undertaken by the government of Israel with regard to the Palestinians. When in office, van Agt was a staunch supporter of Israel, but after he stepped down in 1982 he changed his mind. He has accused Israel of "state terrorismState terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
" and turning the Palestinian Authority territories into "bantustans".
On 30 March 2007, Van Agt claimed on the Dutch radio show Argos that the new Dutch cabinet was 'muzzling' parliament with its decision to block an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dutch involvement in the Iraq war.
He urged fellow party member and prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
not to stand in the way of the debate.
Decorations
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Oranje-Nassau (1982)
- Honorary medal for Initiative and Ingenuity of the Order of the House of Orange (1974)
- Honorary Medal of the province North BrabantNorth BrabantNorth Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
- Honorary citizenship of the city GeldropGeldropGeldrop is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo.Geldrop was a separate municipality until 2004, when it merged with Mierlo...
- Honorary citizenship of the city LilleLilleLille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
(France)
External links
- Mr. A.A.M. van Agt (Ministry of General Affairs) Mr. A.A.M. (Dries) van Agt (Parlement & Politiek)