Dries van Agt facts for kids

Dries van Agt in 1980

Quick facts for kids Dries van Agt
Van Agt in 1980
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982
Monarch	Juliana Beatrix
Deputy	See list Hans Wiegel (1977–1981) Joop den Uyl (1981–1982) Jan Terlouw (1981–1982)
Preceded by	Joop den Uyl
Succeeded by	Ruud Lubbers
Ambassador of the European Union to the United States
In office 1 January 1990 – 1 April 1995
Preceded by	Roy Denman
Succeeded by	Hugo Paemen
Ambassador of the European Union to Japan
In office 1 January 1987 – 1 January 1990
Preceded by	Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
Succeeded by	Jean-Pierre Leng
Queen's Commissioner of North Brabant
In office 1 June 1983 – 22 April 1987
Monarch	Beatrix
Preceded by	Jan Dirk van der Harten
Succeeded by	Frank Houben
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 28 May 1982 – 4 November 1982
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Max van der Stoel
Succeeded by	Hans van den Broek
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 10 June 1981 – 24 August 1981
Preceded by	Ruud Lubbers
Succeeded by	Ruud Lubbers
In office 8 June 1977 – 19 December 1977
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Willem Aantjes
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal
In office 10 December 1976 – 25 October 1982
Deputy	See list Willem Aantjes (1976–1978) Ruud Lubbers (1978–1982)
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Ruud Lubbers
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 11 May 1973 – 8 September 1977
Prime Minister	Joop den Uyl
Preceded by	Roelof Nelissen Molly Geertsema
Succeeded by	Gaius de Gaay Fortman
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 16 September 1982 – 16 June 1983
In office 10 June 1981 – 9 September 1981
In office 8 June 1977 – 19 December 1977
In office 23 January 1973 – 22 April 1973
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal (1981–1983) Catholic People's Party (1973–1977)
Minister of Justice
In office 6 July 1971 – 8 September 1977
Prime Minister	Barend Biesheuvel Joop den Uyl
Preceded by	Carel Polak
Succeeded by	Gaius de Gaay Fortman
Personal details
Born	Andreas Antonius Maria van Agt (1931-02-02)2 February 1931 Geldrop, Netherlands
Died	5 February 2024(2024-02-05) (aged 93) Nijmegen, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–2021)
Other political affiliations	Catholic People's Party (until 1980)
Residences	Nijmegen, Netherlands
Alma mater	Radboud University Nijmegen (LL.B., LL.M.)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · civil servant · Jurist · Lawyer · Judge · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist · Activist · Author · professor
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Andreas Antonius Maria "Dries" van Agt (born 2 February 1931 – died 5 February 2024) was a Dutch politician and diplomat. He was a member of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). Van Agt served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982.

He was also a lawyer and a judge. After his time as Prime Minister, he became an ambassador for the European Union in Japan and the United States. Van Agt was known for his unique way of speaking and his love for cycling.

Early Life and Education

Dries van Agt was born in Geldrop, a town in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family.

He studied law at the Radboud University Nijmegen, where he earned his law degree in 1955. After finishing his studies, he worked as a lawyer in Eindhoven until 1957.

Early Career in Government

From 1957 to 1968, Van Agt worked as a civil servant. He was employed at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and later at the Ministry of Justice.

He also taught Criminal law at his old university from 1968 to 1971. For a short time, from 1970 to 1971, he was a judge in Arnhem.

Political Career

Van Agt began his political journey with the Catholic People's Party (KVP). This party later joined with two other Christian Democratic parties to form the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in 1980.

Becoming a Minister

In 1971, Dries van Agt became the Minister of Justice in the government led by Barend Biesheuvel. He took office on 6 July 1971. During this time, he faced criticism for a decision he made about some prisoners from World War II.

After the 1972 election, he became a member of the House of Representatives. In 1973, he continued as Minister of Justice in the government of Joop den Uyl. He also became the Deputy Prime Minister on 11 May 1973.

Leading the Christian Democrats

In 1976, Van Agt was chosen as the first leader of the new Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. He was their main candidate, known as lijsttrekker, for the 1977 election. Under his leadership, the CDA gained more support.

Prime Minister: First Term

After the 1977 election, the Labour Party won many seats. However, forming a government was difficult. After seven months of talks, Van Agt successfully formed a government with Hans Wiegel, the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Dries van Agt became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands on 19 December 1977. He led the first Van Agt cabinet until 1981.

Prime Minister: Second and Third Terms

For the 1981 election, Van Agt was again the CDA's top candidate. He formed a new government, the second Van Agt cabinet, with the Labour Party and Democrats 66. He continued as prime minister.

This government lasted only seven months. It was replaced by a temporary government, the third Van Agt cabinet. In this cabinet, Van Agt remained prime minister and also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

For the 1982 election, Van Agt was once more the CDA's main candidate. However, shortly after the election, he announced he would step down as leader. He also said he would not serve another term as prime minister. Ruud Lubbers then became his successor.

After His Time as Prime Minister

After leaving the prime minister's office in 1982, Van Agt continued to be involved in public life.

Queen's Commissioner

In 1983, he was appointed as the Queen's Commissioner of North Brabant. This is a special role representing the monarch in a province. He held this position until 1987.

Diplomat for the European Union

Van Agt then became a diplomat for the European Community (now the European Union).

• From 1987 to 1990, he was the Ambassador to Japan.
• From 1990 to 1995, he served as the Ambassador to the United States.

Professor and Activist

After retiring from diplomacy, Van Agt became a visiting professor at several universities. He taught about International relations and peace studies.

He also became a strong activist for human rights and peace. He spoke out about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, advocating for the rights of Palestinians. He believed that certain actions in the conflict should be investigated by international courts.

Van Agt was known for his strong opinions and his ability to debate. He continued to share his thoughts on politics even after his official retirement.

Personal Life

Dries van Agt married Eugenie Krekelberg in 1958. They had three children and seven grandchildren. One of his grandchildren, Eva van Agt, is a professional cyclist.

Van Agt and his wife passed away together on 5 February 2024, three days after his 93rd birthday. They died holding hands.

Honors and Awards

Dries van Agt received several honors and awards during his life.

Honors

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Honorary Medal for Initiative and Ingenuity of the Order of the House of Orange	Netherlands	19 September 1974
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	9 December 1982

Awards

Honorary Degrees

Images for kids

• 

  Prime Minister Dries van Agt and German Leader Helmut Kohl in 1978.

• 

  US Vice President Walter Mondale and Prime Minister Dries van Agt in 1979.

• 

  UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Prime Minister Dries van Agt in 1981.

• 

  German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Prime Minister Dries van Agt in 1982.

• 

  Dries van Agt and Prime Minister Mark Rutte in 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Dries van Agt para niños