Piet Hein Donner

Jan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner (born October 20, 1948) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He is the future Vice President of the Council of State, taking office on February 1, 2012.

He previously served as a Member of the Council of State from December 22, 1997 until July 22, 2002. He became Minister of Justice serving from July 22, 2002 until September 21, 2006 in the Cabinets Balkenende I, II and III. He and Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Sybilla Dekker resigned in the wake of a Dutch Safety Board enquiry into a fire at a cell block near Schiphol Airport. He then became a Member of the House of Representatives, serving from November 30, 2006 until February 22, 2007 when he became Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Balkenende IV, serving until October 14, 2010 when he became Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte. He resigned on December 16, 2011 after he was elected the new Vice President of the Council of State succeeding Herman Tjeenk Willink, he was replaced as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations by fellow Christian Democratic Appeal party member Liesbeth Spies. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Biography

Early life

The Donner family has produced a number of Protestant judges. Piet Hein Donner's father, André Donner, was a judge at the European Court of Justice in 1958-1979 and was part of the government commission that looked into Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands's dealing with the Lockheed Corporation. His grandfather was Jan Donner, who served as Minister of Justice for the Anti Revolutionary Party in the first cabinet of Dirk Jan de Geer and was later president of the Dutch Supreme Court. His uncle Jan Hein Donner, however, was a chess grandmaster and colourful author. Piet Hein Donner studied Law at the Free University of Amsterdam, obtaining a degree in 1974. During his study, he joined the student society L.A.N.X. in 1968.^[5]

Politics

In 2006, Piet Hein Donner recorded a rap song together with Meester G to explain his point of view on the Dutch soft-drug policy.^[6] It was a reply to a song by Gerd Leers, Mayor of Maastricht, (with punk band Heideroosjes), which called for a more progressive policy which would not only regulate the selling of soft drugs, but also legalise their production.

On 13 September 2006, Donner was the subject of controversy when he suggested Islamic law could be established in the Netherlands by democratic means. He responded by a clarification that he was not advocating such a scenario but warning against it.^[7] That same month, a report of the investigative commission into a fire at Schiphol Airport jail was released, condemning Dutch government officials.^[8] Donner, as responsible justice minister, resigned in aftermath of the report's conclusions.^[9] His successor was Ernst Hirsch Ballin, who had been justice minister in the third Lubbers cabinet.^[10]

Four months later, Donner was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the new Cabinet, Balkenende IV.

External links

• (Dutch) Mr. J.P.H. (Piet Hein) Donner (Parlement & Politiek)

References