Atzo Nicolaï facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atzo Nicolaï
Atzo Nicolaï in 2010
Member of the Social and Economic Council
In office 1 July 2011 – 1 October 2019
Chairman	See list Alexander Rinnooy Kan (2011–2012) Wiebe Draijer (2012–2014) Mariëtte Hamer (2014–2019)
Minister for Governmental Reform and Kingdom Relations
In office 7 July 2006 – 22 February 2007
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Alexander Pechtold
Succeeded by	Office discontinued
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 22 July 2002 – 7 July 2006 Serving with Agnes van Ardenne (2002–2003)
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Dick Benschop
Succeeded by	Frans Timmermans (2007)
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 30 November 2006 – 1 June 2011
In office 30 January 2003 – 27 May 2003
In office 19 May 1998 – 22 July 2002
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born	(1960-02-22)22 February 1960 Delft, Netherlands
Died	21 August 2020(2020-08-21) (aged 60) Amstelveen, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1993)
Spouses	Marian Verburgh ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 2008)​ Hilde Laffeber ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	3 (first marriage)
Residences	Amstelveen, Netherlands
Alma mater	Free University Amsterdam (Bachelor of Social Science, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Social Science, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Businessman · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Trade association executive · Academic administrator · Theatrical producer · Editor · Author

Atzo Nicolaï (born February 22, 1960, died August 19, 2020) was a Dutch politician and businessman. He was a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which is a political party in the Netherlands.

Early Life and Education

Atzo Nicolaï went to the Montessori Gymnasium in Rotterdam from 1972 to 1980. After that, he studied at the Free University Amsterdam. He studied Law and Political science.

He earned two bachelor's degrees in 1982. Later, in 1987, he completed two master's degrees.

Early Career

Before becoming a politician, Nicolaï worked as a civil servant. From 1987 to 1990, he worked for the Ministry of Welfare, Health and Culture. He then became a Director-General for the Council for Arts and later the Council for Culture. He held these roles until 1998.

Political Career

Atzo Nicolaï started his political journey in 1998. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives. This is like the parliament in the Netherlands. He spoke for his party on topics like justice, law enforcement, and culture.

State Secretary and Minister

In 2002, Nicolaï became the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs. This means he helped the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in this role in two different governments.

In 2006, he became the Minister for Governmental Reform and Kingdom Relations. He worked on making government better and managing relationships with other parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Return to Parliament

After serving as a minister, Nicolaï returned to the House of Representatives. He continued to be an important voice for his party. He spoke about foreign affairs, European matters, and aviation.

In 2010, he was considered for the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, another political party blocked his appointment. He then chaired the parliamentary committee for Foreign Affairs.

Later Career

In 2011, Atzo Nicolaï left politics. He became the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the DSM Company. This is a large company.

He also worked in the public sector. He was a director on boards for several non-profit organizations. These included the National History Museum and the Bird Protection Foundation. He also worked for industry associations.

Awards and Honours

Atzo Nicolaï received an important honour for his service.

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	11 April 2007