Gijs de Vries facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gijs de Vries
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| Member of the European Court of Auditors | |
| In office 1 January 2011 – 1 January 2014 |
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| Member of the Court of Audit | |
| In office 1 January 2008 – 1 January 2011 |
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| European Union Counter-terrorism Coordinator | |
| In office 25 March 2004 – 1 March 2007 |
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| Secretary-General | Javier Solana |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Gilles de Kerchove |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 23 May 2002 – 8 October 2002 |
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| State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations |
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| In office 3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Wim Kok |
| Preceded by | Tonny van de Vondervoort Jacob Kohnstamm (as State Secretaries for the Interior) |
| Succeeded by | Rob Hessing |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 24 July 1984 – 3 August 1998 |
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| Parliamentary group | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group (1994–1998) Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group (1985–1994) Liberal and Democratic Group (1984–1985) |
| Constituency | Netherlands |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gijsbert Marius de Vries
22 February 1956 New York City, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American, Dutch |
| Political party | Democrats 66 (since 2010) |
| Other political affiliations |
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1974–2010) |
| Alma mater | Leiden University |
| Occupation | Politician · Diplomat · Civil servant · Economist · Researcher · Author · Professor |
Gijsbert Marius "Gijs" de Vries (born 22 February 1956) is a Dutch-American politician and diplomat. He has held important roles in the Dutch government and the European Union.
Gijs de Vries was a State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Netherlands from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the European Union Counter-terrorism Coordinator from 2004 to 2007.
Contents
Gijs de Vries's Career Highlights
Early Political Roles
Gijs de Vries started his political career in the European Parliament. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for 14 years. He served three terms from 1984 to 1998.
As an MEP, he helped make laws and decisions for the European Union. From 1994 to 1998, he was the leader of a group called the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.
In 1998, Gijs de Vries left the European Parliament. He became a State Secretary in the Dutch government. He worked for the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.
EU Anti-Terrorism Coordinator
From March 2004 to March 2007, Gijs de Vries worked as the European Union's anti-terrorism coordinator. His job was to help organize and coordinate how the EU and its member countries fought against terrorism. He worked with Javier Solana, a top EU official.
He stepped down from this role in March 2007. People believed the job needed more power to be truly effective. Also, member countries were not always sharing enough information. After he left, Gilles de Kerchove took over the position in September 2007.
Later Work and Activities
After his role as anti-terrorism coordinator, Gijs de Vries continued to be involved in important work. In September 2008, he became the chairman of the European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF). This group focuses on research and new ideas for security in Europe.
He was a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) until 2010. He then joined the Democrats 66 (D66) party. This change happened because he disagreed with the VVD forming a government with the support of another party.
In 2025, the European Commission chose Gijs de Vries to be part of the audit board for its Ukraine Facility. This board helps oversee financial support for Ukraine.
Awards and Honours
Gijs de Vries has received special honours for his public service.
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
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Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 1 March 2007 | Elevated from Knight (10 December 2002) |
See also
In Spanish: Gijs de Vries para niños
