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Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɦɑnsfɑˈmiːrloː];[a] 18 August 1931 – 11 March 2010) was a Dutch politician and journalist who co-founded Democrats 66 (D66).
Van Mierlo studied Law at the Radboud University Nijmegen obtaining a Master of Laws degree and worked as a journalist and editor for the Algemeen Handelsblad from August 1960 until January 1967. In October 1966 Van Mierlo was one of the co-founders of the Democrats 66 (initially abbreviated D'66) party, and became its first party leader and lead candidate for the 1967 general election. Van Mierlo was elected to the House of Representatives and became parliamentary leader on 23 February 1967. For the 1971 and 1972 general elections Van Mierlo served again as lead candidate. On 1 September 1973 Van Mierlo unexpectedly announced he was stepping down as party leader, stating that he would not stand for the 1977 general election but would continue to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher until the end of the parliamentary term.
Van Mierlo semi-retired from active politics and became active in the public sector as a non-profit director, and worked as a television producer for the VARA from January 1980 until September 1981. After the 1981 general election, Van Mierlo was appointed as Minister of Defence in the Van Agt II cabinet taking office on 11 September 1981. The cabinet fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and was replaced by the caretakerVan Agt III cabinet with Van Mierlo continuing his position and shortly thereafter announced that he would not not stand for the 1982 general election. Van Mierlo continued to be active in politics and was elected to the Senate in the 1983 Senate election, serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for foreign affairs. For the 1986 general election Van Mierlo again served as lead candidate and returned to the House of Representatives as parliamentary leader on 3 June 1986. For the 1989 and 1994 general elections Van Mierlo once again served as lead candidate, and following a successful cabinet formation with Labour Party leader Wim Kok and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leader Frits Bolkestein formed the Kok I cabinet, with Van Mierlo appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 22 August 1994. In March 1997 Van Mierlo announced that he was stepping down as leader a second time but that he would stand for the 1998 general election. After a cabinet formation, Van Mierlo was asked to continue to serve in the new cabinet in a different function, but declined and returned to the House of Representatives on 19 May 1998. Shortly after the installation of the Kok II cabinet, Van Mierlo announced his retirement and resigned from the House of Representatives on 18 August 1998.
Van Mierlo retired from active politics at 67 and again became active in the public sector as a non-profit director and served as a diplomat for several economic and diplomatic delegations on behalf of the government, and continued to be active as a advocate and lobbyist for more European integration, republican issues and government reforms. Van Mierlo was known for his abilities as a skilful debater and effective negotiator. Van Mierlo was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 24 October 1998 and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until his death in March 2010 from the complications of a Hepatitis C infection at the age of 78.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns and Hans van Mierlo at his inauguration in the Ridderzaal on 23 February 1967Hans van Mierlo and Joop den Uyl at a press conference in The Hague on 18 November 1972Hans van Mierlo and Wim Kok during a debate in the House of Representatives on 13 September 1989Hans van Mierlo, Els Borst and party leader Alexander Pechtold during party conference in Breda on 7 November 2009
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva van Mierlo was born on 18 August 1931 in Breda in the province of North Brabant in a Roman Catholic family as the second child of eight children of Anthonius Alphonsus Marie van Mierlo (born 9 May 1902) and Adriana Maria Francisca van der Schrieck (born 3 April 1905). After receiving his Gymnasium-A diploma at the Canisius College in Nijmegen he studied at the Radboud University Nijmegen, where he received a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degree in 1960. After graduating, he became a journalist for the NRC Handelsblad and worked as a managing editor from 1960 until 1967, first as an editor Home Affairs, later as the opinion page's chief editor.
Van Mierlo semi-retired from active politics on his sixty-seventh birthday. He served as the first Dutch representative to the Convention on the Future of Europe from 1 March 2002 until 26 September 2002. Following the end of his active political career, Van Mierlo occupied numerous seats on supervisory boards on cultural organizations.
Personal
He was appointed Minister of State on 24 October 1998, a mainly honorary title for politicians with an extensive history of government service. Hans van Mierlo was married thrice. He has a son from his first marriage and two daughters from the second. Since 1999 Van Mierlo had a relationship with the Dutch writer Connie Palmen; they got married on 11 November 2009, in Amsterdam.[1]
Hans van Mierlo died on 11 March 2010 at the age of 78;[2][3] he had been living with a transplanted liver since 2000[4] which was required after liver failure as a consequence of a hepatitis C contamination contracted from a blood transfusion in 1982.[5]
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