Laurens Jan Brinkhorst

His Excellency Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
Laurens Jan Brinkhorst in 1980
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 31 March 2005 – 3 July 2006 Serving with Gerrit Zalm
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Thom de Graaf
Succeeded by	Gerrit Zalm
Minister of Economic Affairs
In office 27 May 2003 – 3 July 2006
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Hans Hoogervorst
Succeeded by	Gerrit Zalm
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries
In office 7 June 1999 – 22 July 2002
Prime Minister	Wim Kok
Preceded by	Haijo Apotheker
Succeeded by	Cees Veerman
Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands
In office 19 July 1994 – 8 June 1999
Ambassador of the European Union to Japan
In office 1 December 1982 – 1 January 1987
Preceded by	Leslie Fielding
Succeeded by	Dries van Agt
Leader of the Democrats 66
In office 8 September 1982 – 10 November 1982
Preceded by	Jan Terlouw
Succeeded by	Maarten Engwirda
Parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives
In office 11 September 1981 – 10 November 1982
Preceded by	Jan Terlouw
Succeeded by	Maarten Engwirda
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 8 June 1977 – 10 November 1982
Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 11 May 1973 – 8 September 1977 Serving with Pieter Kooijmans
Prime Minister	Joop den Uyl
Preceded by	Tjerk Westerterp
Succeeded by	Durk van der Mei
Personal details
Born	Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (1937-03-18) 18 March 1937 Zwolle, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Democrats 66 (from 1966)
Spouse(s)	Jantien Heringa (m. 1960)
Children	Marius Brinkhorst (born 1964) Princess Laurentien (born 1966)
Residence	Leiden, Netherlands
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws) Columbia University (Bachelor of Social Science, Master of Social Science)
Occupation	Politician Diplomat Jurist Researcher Nonprofit director Author Professor

Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 18 March 1937) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Democrats 66 (D66) party.

Personal life

Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst was born in the city of Zwolle. After getting his high school diploma (gymnasium-B-diploma in Dutch) he studied law at the University of Leiden (Rijksuniversiteit Leiden in Dutch) (doctoral exam in 1959). He got his MA in Public Law and Government at Columbia University in New York City. Afterwards he worked at Shearman & Sterling in New York City. He married Jantien Heringa (born 2 February 1935 in Voorburg), daughter of Ewardus Heringa (Den Haag, 14 November 1904 - Den Haag, 30 November 1988) and wife (m. Utrecht, 4 August 1930) Petronela Johanna Roskam (Utrecht, 20 August 1905 - Den Haag, 19 December 1991). They are the parents of Marius Brinkhorst (born 9 February 1964) and the Dutch princess Laurentien Brinkhorst, who married Prince Constantijn in 2001.^[1]

Career in politics and academia

From 1962, and from 1965 as a director, he worked at the Europe-institute at the Rijksuniversiteit Leiden where he became a Reader (Lector) in 1965 as well. During the period 1967-1973 he was Professor of European Law at the University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in Dutch). On 11 May 1973, he became Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of Den Uyl.

In 1977 he was again a member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch parliament for D66 and in 1981 became the leader of his party in parliament. From 1983-1987 he was Ambassador of the European Community in Japan. In 1987 he became a correspondent of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.^[2] Between 1987 and 1994 Brinkhorst continued his service at the European Commission as Director-General for Environmental Affairs and Nuclear Safety. In 1994 Brinkhorst became a member of the European Parliament, serving there until 1999.

Brinkhorst was also a member of the Provinciale Staten (the provincial parliament) of the province of Groningen for D66, a member of the board of advice of the World Resources Institute in Washington DC, a member of the board of governors of the Nederlands Economisch Instituut (Dutch Economical Institute), a professor by special appointment of international environmental law at the University of Leiden, a member of the Board of Directors of the Salzburg Seminar, a member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Sustainable Development, and a professor (on a temporary basis) of international environmental law at the University of Lausanne.

On 8 June 1999 he became the minister of agriculture, environmental control and fishery in the cabinet Kok-II. Afterwards (2002) he became an Adviser of European Affairs at NautaDulith in Brussels and was awarded a professorship in transnational and European Governance at the University of Tilburg. After the electoral defeat of D66 he became a minister of economic affairs in the second Balkenende cabinet. Brinkhorst, as well as Alexander Pechtold, resigned from his minister post after the second Balkenende cabinet lost the confidence of parliament on 29 June 2006. The next day, Balkenende offered the resignation of the full cabinet to the Dutch Queen.

Since 1 November 2006, Brinkhorst is a full professor at the Leiden University. Brinkhorst is also a member of the Bilderberg Group.In addition, he is the vice-chairman of the Executive Committee of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation. Also, he is on the advisory board of OMFIF where he is regularly involved in meetings regarding the financial and monetary system.

References

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Mr. L.J. (Laurens Jan) Brinkhorst Parlement & Politiek