Wim van Eekelen

Wim van Eekelen
Wim van Eekelen in 1986
Member of the Senate
In office 13 June 1995 – 10 June 2003
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Secretary General of the Western European Union
In office 15 May 1989 – 14 November 1994
Preceded by	Alfred Cahen
Succeeded by	José Cutileiro
Minister of Defence
In office 14 July 1986 – 6 September 1988
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Job de Ruiter
Succeeded by	Piet Bukman (Ad interim)
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 5 November 1982 – 14 July 1986
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Hans van den Broek
Succeeded by	René van der Linden
State Secretary for Defence
In office 20 January 1978 – 11 September 1981 Serving with Cees van Lent
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Cees van Lent
Succeeded by	Bram Stemerdink Jan van Houwelingen
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 3 June 1986 – 14 July 1986
In office 25 August 1981 – 5 November 1982
In office 8 June 1977 – 20 January 1978
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born	Willem Frederik van Eekelen (1931-02-05) 5 February 1931 Utrecht, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1955)
Residence(s)	The Hague, Netherlands
Alma mater	Utrecht University (Bachelor of Laws) Princeton University (Bachelor of Social Science, Master of Social Science, Doctor of Philosophy)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · Civil servant · Political consultant · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist

Willem Frederik "Wim" van Eekelen (born 5 February 1931) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and political consultant.

Van Eekelen worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1956 until 1957 and as a Attaché in New Delhi from 1957 until 1960, Londen from 1960 until 1964 and in Accra from 1964 until 1966. Van Eekelen worked as a senior attaché for the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the European Union from 1966 until 1971 and as a Consul for the European Economic Community from 1971 until 1974. Van Eekelen served as Director-General for Atlantic Cooperation and Security Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1974 until 1977. Van Eekelen was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1977, taking office on 8 June 1977. Van Eekelen was appointed as State Secretary for Defence in the Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel, taking office on 20 January 1978. Following the election of 1981 Van Eekelen returned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 25 August 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel was replaced by the Cabinet Van Agt II on 11 September 1981. After the election of 1982 Van Eekelen was appointed State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers I, taking office on 5 November 1982. Following the election of 1986 Van Eekelen again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 3 June 1986. Van Eekelen was appointed as Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Lubbers II, taking office on 14 July 1986. On 6 September 1988 Van Eekelen resigned following a damaging parliamentary inquiry into his handeling of a investigation into Passport fraud during the time he serves as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the precious Cabinet Lubbers I, his successor as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs René van der Linden resigned on 9 September 1988.

Van Eekelen remained in active politics, he was nominated as the next Secretary General of the Western European Union, serving from 15 May 1989 until 14 November 1994. Van Eekelen was elected as a Member of the Senate following the Senate election of 1995, serving from 13 June 1995 until 10 June 2003.

Following the end of his active political career, Van Eekelen occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director for supervisory boards in the business and industry world and several international non-governmental organizations and research institutes (Institute for Multiparty Democracy, Netherlands Atlantic Association, Transnational Institute, Carnegie Foundation and the Institute of International Relations Clingendael) and as an advocate and lobbyist for democracy and European integration.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit	Germany	12 October 1984
	Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	15 September 1986
	Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour	France	17 February 1987
	Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	10 December 1988
	Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	20 November 1994	Elevated from Knight (26 October 1981)
	Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit	Poland	6 May 1998

External links

Official

• Template:Nl icon Dr. W.F. (Wim) van Eekelen Parlement & Politiek
• Template:Nl icon Dr. W.F. van Eekelen (VVD) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal