René van der Linden
Encyclopedia
Pierre René Hubert Marie van der Linden (born December 14, 1943, Eys
) is a Member of the Senate of the Netherlands. He was President of the Dutch Senate from 2009 to 2011, and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
from 2005 to 2008.
Catholic Economics Faculty in Tilburg, (1966–1970), (now known as Tilburg University)
Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for European Affairs (1986–1988)
Second vice-chairperson of the Christian Democratic political group, CDA, Second Chamber of the States-General of the Netherlands (1982–1986)
Member of the party executive of the CDA
Member of the party executive of the former Catholic Popular Party, KVP
, and vice-chairman of the KVP youth section
Van der Linden was secretary of state of foreign affairs in the Dutch cabinet Lubbers II
. He was responsible for the passport fiasco which was caused by ministerial incompetence .
of not permitting non-citizen residents to take part in local elections. Former Prime Minister of Estonia
Mart Laar
attempted to correct him, pointing out that all permanent residents in Estonia have the right to vote (but not to be elected) in local elections. However van der Linden referred to reports of the Amnesty International
and other human rights organizations.
In reaction, the Estonian Social Democratic Party issued a statement calling that van der Linden be immediately dismissed from his post. Admitting that Linden's term of office is due to end in late 2007 anyway, the statement declared that he had with his inaccurate comments disqualified himself.
On October 2, 2007, speaker of Estonian Parliament
, Ene Ergma
, sent a strongly worded open letter
to van der Linden, asking him to do his homework
and "give up spreading erroneous information about Estonia", which "created confusion and bewilderment both in the Estonian public and internationally." In his reply, van der Linden expressed amazement at the content of the letter and the fact that Ene Ergma
made accusations public before giving him any right of reply. He also pointed out that Ene Ergma
never expressed such views to him during their meeting, which took place less than two weeks before.
Later that month, in a press conference in Lithuania
, he claimed that millions of people live without status in the Baltic countries. The population of Estonia is roughly 1,342,000, of which roughly 8.5% are without defined citizenship.
suggested that van der Linden's family had business interests in Russia. This is suspected to explain his lack of criticism towards Putin
and the Russian government for human rights
violations and his pro-Russia and anti-Baltic stand, as well as his stand against relocating the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
from central Tallinn
.
After a 3 October 2007 phone call from van der Linden, threatening investigation by French police, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian parliament's
European Union affairs committee, held a press conference on 8 October 2007 where he presented materials collected from various publicly available Russian media sources in which central topic is van der Linden's role as the head of the supervisory council of a certain Dutch investment company
that established the biggest industrial park in Europe in Sobinsk, Russia
in late 2006. Subsequently van der Linden denied all accusations and stated that he never had any financial interest in Russia neither is he serving as mentioned chairman. He was called the head of the supervisory board of Noble House Group at the home page of the Dutch investment company Noble House Trading. However, a representative of Noble House Holding told Estonia's ETV October 7, 2007 that van der Linden is not a member of the company's supervisory board and that the supervisory board would be appointed only next year.
Gulpen-Wittem
Gulpen-Wittem is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands with 14.677 inhabitants as of 2008.Gulpen-Wittem came into being after the merger of the municipalities Gulpen and Wittem. This took place after a request of both municipalities. At the time of the merger, both municipalities had...
) is a Member of the Senate of the Netherlands. He was President of the Dutch Senate from 2009 to 2011, and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
from 2005 to 2008.
Education
Economics: international administrative studies atCatholic Economics Faculty in Tilburg, (1966–1970), (now known as Tilburg University)
Career
- Member of the First Chamber (Senate) of the States-General of the NetherlandsStates-General of the NetherlandsThe States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
(from 1999) - President of the First Chamber (Senate) of the States-General of the NetherlandsStates-General of the NetherlandsThe States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
(from 2009 until 2011) - President of the Committee for European cooperation of the First Chamber of the States-General (from 2002 to 2009)
- Member of the Second Chamber of the States-General of the Netherlands (1977–1986 and 1988–1998)
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for European Affairs (1986–1988)
- Member of the cabinet of European Commissioner Pierre LardinoisPierre LardinoisPierre Lardinois was a Dutch politician.In 1963 he was first elected to the Dutch House of Representatives for the Katholieke Volkspartij . From 1963 to 1967 he was member of the European Parliament...
(1973–1977) and European Commissioner Henk VredelingHenk VredelingHendrikus Vredeling was a Dutch politician.In 1956 he was first elected to the Dutch House of Representatives for the Dutch Labour Party. From 1958 to 1973 he was member of the European Parliament. He served as Minister of Defence and European Commissioner .-External links:*...
(1977) - Civil servant, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Netherlands (1971–1973)
- Teacher of economics (1969)
Other posts currently held
- Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) member (since 1989)
- Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European UnionWestern European UnionThe Western European Union was an international organisation tasked with implementing the Modified Treaty of Brussels , an amended version of the original 1948 Treaty of Brussels...
(WEU) - Member of the executive board of the Dutch employers’ confederation
- Board member of Kerk en Nood (Church and Need)
- Chairman of the Maastricht School of ManagementMaastricht School of ManagementThe Maastricht School of Management is a leading provider of management education with worldwide presence. Its mission is to enhance the management capacity of professionals and organizations in and for emerging economies and developing countries with the objective to substantially contribute to...
(since 1999) - Board member of several associations in the agricultural sector
Party political posts
Chairperson of EPP/CD group in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) (1999–2005) and vice-chairperson (1989–1999)Second vice-chairperson of the Christian Democratic political group, CDA, Second Chamber of the States-General of the Netherlands (1982–1986)
Member of the party executive of the CDA
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...
Member of the party executive of the former Catholic Popular Party, KVP
KVP
KVP could refer to:*Katholieke Volkspartij, a Dutch political party*Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment, a defunct papermill once headquartered in Parchment, Michigan, USA*Karur Vysya Bank...
, and vice-chairman of the KVP youth section
Other posts previously held
- President of the Council of EuropeCouncil of EuropeThe Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
Parliamentary Assembly (PACEPACE-Associations:* Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union* National PACE Association* Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence-Educational programs:...
) (2005–2008) - Chairperson of the Netherlands delegation to PACE (2003–2005)
- Delegated representative of the First Chamber of the States-General of the Netherlands to the Convention on the Future of the European Union
- Patron of Stichting Lisboa, homeless children in Portugal (1995)
- Chairman of the advisory committee of the national school of translators and interpreters, Rijkshogeschool Opleiding tolk-vertaler (1990)
- Adviser to Combined Chambers of Commerce in Limburg (1989 and 1992)
- Member of Consultative Interparliamentary Benelux Council (1977–1986)
- Board member of the Netherlands Organisation for international assistance, NOVIB,
- President of several cultural foundations
Van der Linden was secretary of state of foreign affairs in the Dutch cabinet Lubbers II
Netherlands cabinet Lubbers-2
The second Lubbers cabinet was a continuation of the coalition of the right-wing political parties CDA and VVD. Its main aim was the continuation of the policy of cutting government spending. There was a large-scale revision of the welfare state and the public postal service was privatised...
. He was responsible for the passport fiasco which was caused by ministerial incompetence .
Dutch honours
- Knight of the Order of Orange-NassauOrder of Orange-NassauThe Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
of the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe 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...
(18 mei 1998) - Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (21 December 1988)
Foreign honours
- Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold IIOrder of Leopold IIThe Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
of BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(21 januari 2011) - Commander of the Legion of Honour of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(November 2007) - Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2004)
- Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the GreatOrder of St. Gregory the GreatThe Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
of the Holy SeeHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
(20 oktober 2003) - Congressional Medal of Achievement of the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(2005) - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of San Marino (2006)
- Honorary citizen of Nafplio
- Honorary citizen of LiègeLiègeLiège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
- Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
Controversial claims about citizenship issues in Baltic Countries
During a press conference in Tallinn on September 19, 2007, a controversy ensued when Linden accused EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
of not permitting non-citizen residents to take part in local elections. Former Prime Minister of Estonia
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
Mart Laar
Mart Laar
Mart Laar is an Estonian statesman, historian and a founding member of the Foundation for the Investigation of Communist Crimes. He was the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002, and is the leader of the conservative party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica...
attempted to correct him, pointing out that all permanent residents in Estonia have the right to vote (but not to be elected) in local elections. However van der Linden referred to reports of the Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and other human rights organizations.
In reaction, the Estonian Social Democratic Party issued a statement calling that van der Linden be immediately dismissed from his post. Admitting that Linden's term of office is due to end in late 2007 anyway, the statement declared that he had with his inaccurate comments disqualified himself.
On October 2, 2007, speaker of Estonian Parliament
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
, Ene Ergma
Ene Ergma
Ene Ergma is an Estonian politician, a member of the Riigikogu , and scientist. She is a member of the political party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica...
, sent a strongly worded open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
to van der Linden, asking him to do his homework
Homework
Homework, or homework assignment, refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside of class. Common homework assignments may include a quantity or period of reading to be performed, writing or typing to be completed, problems to be solved, a school project to be built...
and "give up spreading erroneous information about Estonia", which "created confusion and bewilderment both in the Estonian public and internationally." In his reply, van der Linden expressed amazement at the content of the letter and the fact that Ene Ergma
Ene Ergma
Ene Ergma is an Estonian politician, a member of the Riigikogu , and scientist. She is a member of the political party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica...
made accusations public before giving him any right of reply. He also pointed out that Ene Ergma
Ene Ergma
Ene Ergma is an Estonian politician, a member of the Riigikogu , and scientist. She is a member of the political party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica...
never expressed such views to him during their meeting, which took place less than two weeks before.
Later that month, in a press conference in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, he claimed that millions of people live without status in the Baltic countries. The population of Estonia is roughly 1,342,000, of which roughly 8.5% are without defined citizenship.
Alleged financial interest in Russia
In August 2007, van der Linden became embroiled in controversy after articles in the Eesti PäevalehtEesti Päevaleht
Eesti Päevaleht is a major daily Estonian newspaper, from the same publishers as the weekly Eesti Ekspress. It has a daily circulation of around 36,000....
suggested that van der Linden's family had business interests in Russia. This is suspected to explain his lack of criticism towards Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
and the Russian government for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations and his pro-Russia and anti-Baltic stand, as well as his stand against relocating the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
The Bronze Soldier is the informal name of a controversial Soviet World War II war memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, built at the site of several war graves, which were relocated to the nearby Tallinn Military Cemetery in 2007...
from central Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.
After a 3 October 2007 phone call from van der Linden, threatening investigation by French police, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian parliament's
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
European Union affairs committee, held a press conference on 8 October 2007 where he presented materials collected from various publicly available Russian media sources in which central topic is van der Linden's role as the head of the supervisory council of a certain Dutch investment company
Investment company
An investment company is a company whose main business is holding securities of other companies purely for investment purposes. The investment company invests money on behalf of its shareholders who in turn share in the profits and losses....
that established the biggest industrial park in Europe in Sobinsk, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in late 2006. Subsequently van der Linden denied all accusations and stated that he never had any financial interest in Russia neither is he serving as mentioned chairman. He was called the head of the supervisory board of Noble House Group at the home page of the Dutch investment company Noble House Trading. However, a representative of Noble House Holding told Estonia's ETV October 7, 2007 that van der Linden is not a member of the company's supervisory board and that the supervisory board would be appointed only next year.