Frans Andriessen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frans Andriessen
Andriessen in 1972
European Commissioner
In office 6 January 1981 – 6 January 1993
President	See list Gaston Thorn (1981–1985) Jacques Delors (1985–1993)
Preceded by	Henk Vredeling
Succeeded by	Hans van den Broek
Member of the Senate
In office 16 September 1980 – 6 January 1981
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Minister of Finance
In office 19 December 1977 – 22 February 1980
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Wim Duisenberg
Succeeded by	Gijs van Aardenne (Ad Interim)
Leader of the Catholic People's Party
In office 1 October 1971 – 25 May 1977
Preceded by	Gerard Veringa
Succeeded by	Office discontinued
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 16 August 1971 – 25 May 1977
Preceded by	Gerard Veringa
Succeeded by	Office discontinued
Parliamentary group	Catholic People's Party
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 23 February 1967 – 19 December 1977
Parliamentary group	Catholic People's Party
Personal details
Born	Franciscus Henricus Johannes Joseph Andriessen (1929-04-02)2 April 1929 Utrecht, Netherlands
Died	22 March 2019(2019-03-22) (aged 89) Bilthoven, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Catholic People's Party (until 1980)
Spouse	Catherine Andriessen ​ (m. 1955)​
Alma mater	Utrecht University (LL.B., LL.M.)
Occupation	Politician · Jurist · Businessperson · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist · Professor

Frans Andriessen (born April 2, 1929 – died March 22, 2019) was an important Dutch politician and businessman. He was a member of the Catholic People's Party and later the Christian Democratic Appeal party. He is best known for serving as a European Commissioner for 12 years, from 1981 to 1993.

Frans Andriessen's Early Life and Career

Frans Andriessen was born in Utrecht, Netherlands. He studied Law at Utrecht University and earned a master's degree. After finishing his studies, he worked for a construction company in Utrecht. He even became the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the company in 1961.

Entering Dutch Politics

Andriessen began his political career in the Netherlands. In 1967, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, which is part of the Dutch Parliament. He focused on housing issues.

In 1971, he became the leader of the Catholic People's Party in the House of Representatives. This meant he was the main spokesperson for his party.

Becoming Minister of Finance

In 1977, Frans Andriessen was appointed as the Minister of Finance for the Netherlands. This is a very important job, as the Minister of Finance manages the country's money and budget. He took office on December 19, 1977.

He wanted to make bigger cuts to government spending than his party agreed with. Because of this disagreement, he resigned from his position in February 1980. After this, he became a member of the Senate, another part of the Dutch Parliament.

Frans Andriessen as a European Commissioner

In 1981, Frans Andriessen was chosen to be a European Commissioner. A European Commissioner is like a minister for the entire European Union. They are responsible for different areas, like trade or agriculture, across all member countries.

Minister of Finance Frans Andriessen with the Budget Memorandum during Prinsjesdag at the Binnenhof on 19 September 1978.

First Term: Competition and Parliament

From 1981 to 1985, Andriessen was the European Commissioner for Competition. This meant he worked to make sure businesses competed fairly and didn't create monopolies. He also handled relations with the European Parliament. One famous case he settled was with the company IBM in 1984.

Second Term: Agriculture and Fisheries

In 1985, he was re-appointed for a second term. This time, he became the Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries. This was a very challenging role. He also became the First Vice-President of the European Commission, which is a high-ranking position.

He worked on many issues, like preventing too much lamb from being produced (a "lamb mountain"). He also tried to get European countries to agree on farm budgets and reduce milk production. He introduced the idea of "set-aside," where farmers were paid not to grow certain crops to reduce surpluses.

Prime Minister Dries van Agt and Minister of Finance Frans Andriessen during a financial debate in the House of Representatives on 23 May 1979.

Third Term: External Relations and Trade

From 1989 to 1993, Andriessen served his third term. He was in charge of External Relations and Trade. This meant he dealt with how the European Union worked with countries outside of Europe. He kept his role as First Vice-President.

He played a big part in the Uruguay Round of GATT talks. These were important discussions about global trade rules. He also worked on creating a "European Economic Space" to help countries like those in Eastern Europe, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall. This helped them get closer to the European Union.

His final years were focused on completing the GATT agreement, which aimed to make trade fairer around the world. This agreement eventually led to the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Frans Andriessen's Later Life and Legacy

Frans Andriessen retired from active politics when he was 62. However, he continued to be involved in many important areas. He served on various government commissions and worked as a professor of European integration at his old university, Utrecht University.

He was known as a skilled negotiator and someone who could help different groups reach agreements. He continued to share his opinions on political matters until he passed away in March 2019 at the age of 89. He was the second longest-serving Dutch European Commissioner.

Personal Life

Frans Andriessen married Catherine Ten Holter in 1955. They had four children.

Awards and Honors

Frans Andriessen received many awards and honors throughout his life for his work.

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre	Holy See	1972
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	15 May 1980
	Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour	France	12 February 1982
	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit	Germany	13 May 1983
	Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	15 December 1990
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	19 January 1993	Elevated from Officer (30 April 1969)

Honorary Degrees

He also received an honorary degree from Utrecht University in 1992 for his contributions to law.

See also

In Spanish: Frans Andriessen para niños