Jozias van Aartsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jozias van Aartsen
Van Aartsen in 2012
Mayor of Amsterdam
Acting
In office 4 December 2017 – 12 July 2018
Preceded by	Eric van der Burg (ad interim)
Succeeded by	Femke Halsema
King's Commissioner of Drenthe
Acting
In office 19 April 2017 – 1 December 2017
Preceded by	Jacques Tichelaar
Succeeded by	Jetta Klijnsma
Mayor of The Hague
In office 27 March 2008 – 1 March 2017
Preceded by	Jetta Klijnsma (ad interim)
Succeeded by	Tom de Bruijn (ad interim)
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
In office 27 November 2004 – 8 March 2006
Preceded by	Gerrit Zalm
Succeeded by	Mark Rutte
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives
In office 27 May 2003 – 8 March 2006
Preceded by	Gerrit Zalm
Succeeded by	Willibrord van Beek
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002
Prime Minister	Wim Kok
Preceded by	Hans van Mierlo
Succeeded by	Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries
In office 22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998
Prime Minister	Wim Kok
Preceded by	Piet Bukman
Succeeded by	Haijo Apotheker
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 23 May 2002 – 30 November 2006
In office 19 May 1998 – 3 August 1998
Personal details
Born	Jozias Johannes van Aartsen (1947-12-25) 25 December 1947 (age 77) The Hague, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (since 1968)
Spouse	Henriëtte Warsen ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	3 children
Parent	Jan van Aartsen (1909–1992) (father)
Residences	The Hague, Netherlands
Alma mater	Free University Amsterdam (Bachelor of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Political consultant · Nonprofit director · Author
Signature

Jozias Johannes van Aartsen (born 25 December 1947) is a Dutch politician who is now retired. He was once the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2004 to 2006.

Van Aartsen was born in The Hague. He studied Law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Throughout his career, he held many important roles. He was the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries from 1994 to 1998. Later, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Mayor of The Hague for many years, from 2008 to 2017.

Who is Jozias van Aartsen?

Jozias van Aartsen is a well-known Dutch politician. He has held several high-ranking positions in the Dutch government. He is known for his skills as a manager and debater. He is also the only person to have been Mayor of both The Hague and Amsterdam.

His Early Life and Education

Jozias Johannes van Aartsen was born on Christmas Day in 1947. His father, Jan van Aartsen, was also a politician. His father served as a Minister and a Queen's Commissioner.

Jozias went to the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet school. After finishing school, he studied law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree. When he was 22, he moved to The Hague to begin his career in politics.

A Career in Dutch Politics

Jozias van Aartsen started his political career working for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). This is a major political party in the Netherlands. He worked for the party leader, Hans Wiegel, in the House of Representatives. This is like the lower house of parliament.

Working for the Government

From 1974 to 1979, Van Aartsen was the director of the Telders Foundation. This was a think tank for the VVD party. He then became a civil servant. He worked for the Ministry of the Interior for many years. He held several important roles there, including Secretary-General. This is a very senior position in the civil service.

Serving as a Minister

In 1994, after a national election, Jozias van Aartsen became a Minister. He was the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries. He held this job until 1998.

After the 1998 election, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This means he was in charge of how the Netherlands dealt with other countries. He served in this role until 2002.

Leading a Political Party

After his time as a Minister, Van Aartsen became the leader of the VVD party. He also became the leader of the VVD group in the House of Representatives. He held these leadership roles from 2003 to 2006.

Mayor of Major Cities

From 2008 to 2017, Jozias van Aartsen served as the Mayor of The Hague. This is a very important city in the Netherlands.

After this, he took on two temporary roles. He was the King's Commissioner for the province of Drenthe. He also served as the acting Mayor of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands.

Life After National Politics

Jozias van Aartsen has retired from national politics. However, he remains active in public life. He serves on many boards and councils. He also continues to share his opinions on political matters.

He is known for being a strong leader and a good speaker. His father was also a politician, serving as a Minister. Jozias van Aartsen is unique because he has been the Mayor of both The Hague and Amsterdam.

Awards and Honours

Jozias van Aartsen has received several important awards and honours for his service. These awards come from the Netherlands and other countries.

Honours

Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	1 August 1994
	Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	15 April 2000
	Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown	Luxembourg	30 November 2000
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic	Spain	19 October 2001
	Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	1 March 2017	Elevated from Officer (10 December 2002)

Images for kids

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  Mayor of The Hague Jozias van Aartsen with President of the United States Barack Obama at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag in 2014.