Piet van Zeil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piet van Zeil
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Piet van Zeil in 1980
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| Mayor of Heerlen | |
| In office 1 July 1986 – 1 September 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Jan Reijnen |
| Succeeded by | Jef Pleumeekers |
| State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment |
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| In office 12 June 1982 – 4 November 1982 |
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| Prime Minister | Dries van Agt |
| Preceded by | Ien Dales Hedy d'Ancona |
| Succeeded by | Louw de Graaf |
| State Secretary for Economic Affairs | |
| In office 11 September 1981 – 22 June 1986 Serving with Wim Dik (1981–1982)
Frits Bolkestein (1982–1986) |
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| Prime Minister | Dries van Agt (1981–1982) Ruud Lubbers (1982–1986) |
| Preceded by | Ted Hazekamp Has Beyen |
| Succeeded by | Frits Bolkestein |
| Chairman of the Catholic People's Party |
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| In office 5 April 1975 – 27 September 1980 |
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| Leader | Frans Andriessen |
| Preceded by | Dick de Zeeuw |
| Succeeded by | Office discontinued |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 3 June 1986 – 22 June 1986 |
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| In office 16 September 1982 – 5 November 1982 |
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| In office 1 February 1972 – 11 September 1981 |
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| Parliamentary group | Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–1986) Catholic People's Party (1972–1980) |
| Member of the Social and Economic Council |
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| In office 30 August 1968 – 1 February 1972 |
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| Chairman | Jan de Pous |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Petrus Hendrikus van Zeil
3 August 1927 Hillegom, Netherlands |
| Died | 10 November 2012 (aged 85) Heerlen, Netherlands |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980) |
| Other political affiliations |
Catholic People's Party (until 1980) |
| Spouse |
Agnes de Groot
(m. 1955) |
| Occupation |
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Piet van Zeil (born August 3, 1927, died November 10, 2012) was an important Dutch politician and a leader in trade unions. He was part of two political parties: the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
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Who Was Piet van Zeil?
Piet van Zeil, whose full name was Petrus Hendrikus van Zeil, was born in Hillegom, Netherlands. He had a long career serving his country. He worked as a clerk and then became a leader in trade unions. Later, he held many important roles in the Dutch government.
Early Career and Union Work
Piet van Zeil started working as an office clerk in April 1944. He did this job until May 1951. After that, he became a leader for the Dutch Trade Unions association (NVV). He worked there from May 1951 until February 1972. From August 1968, he was the General-Secretary of the union. This meant he was a very important leader for workers' rights.
He also served on the local council in Hillegom. He was a member of the Municipal Council from April 1966 until May 1974.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Piet van Zeil became a Member of the House of Representatives on February 1, 1972. This is like being a member of parliament in other countries. He took over from Gerard Veringa. In this role, he spoke for his party on topics like transport and water. He also focused on aviation and relations with other parts of the Kingdom.
From April 1975 to September 1980, he was the Chairman of the Catholic People's Party. This was a big leadership role within his political party.
Important Government Roles
After the 1981 election, Piet van Zeil became a State Secretary for Economic Affairs. He started this job on September 11, 1981. A State Secretary is like a deputy minister. He worked in the government led by Prime Minister Dries van Agt.
The government faced some challenges and changed in 1982. Piet van Zeil continued his role. In June 1982, he also became State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment. This meant he held two important government jobs at the same time.
After the 1982 election, he returned to the House of Representatives for a short time. Then, he continued as State Secretary for Economic Affairs in a new government. This government was led by Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers. He held this position until June 1986.
Mayor of Heerlen
In 1986, Piet van Zeil decided not to join the new government. Instead, he was chosen to be the Mayor of Heerlen. He resigned from his State Secretary role and as a Member of Parliament on June 22, 1986.
He officially became the Mayor of Heerlen on July 1, 1986. He served the city as mayor until September 1, 1992. Being a mayor means leading the local government of a city.
Life After Politics
After his time as mayor, Piet van Zeil mostly retired from national politics. He had spent 20 years working in the Dutch government. He then became involved in different organizations. He served on the boards of many companies and non-profit groups. These included the Netherlands Bible Society and the Catholic Scouts.
Piet van Zeil was known for being a great debater and negotiator. He continued to share his thoughts on political matters until he passed away at age 85.
Honors and Awards
Piet van Zeil received many special honors and awards during his life. These awards came from different countries and organizations. They recognized his important work and contributions.
- Commander of the Order of Leopold II (Belgium, 1982)
- Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg, 1983)
- Officer of the Legion of Honour (France, 1985)
- Officer of the Order of Merit (Germany, 1986)
- Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands, 1986)
- Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands, 1992)
- Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (Holy See, 1996)
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy See, 2002)
Images for kids
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Ribbon bar for the Order of Leopold II
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Ribbon bar for the Order of the Oak Crown
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Ribbon bar for the Legion of Honour
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Ribbon bar for the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
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Ribbon bar for the Order of Orange-Nassau
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Ribbon bar for the Order of the Netherlands Lion
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Ribbon bar for the Order of St. Gregory the Great
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Ribbon bar for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
