Wim van Eekelen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wim van Eekelen
Van Eekelen in 1978
Member of the Senate
In office 13 June 1995 – 10 June 2003
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Secretary General of the Western European Union
In office 15 May 1989 – 15 November 1994
Preceded by	Alfred Cahen
Succeeded by	José Cutileiro
Minister of Defence
In office 14 July 1986 – 6 September 1988
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Job de Ruiter
Succeeded by	Piet Bukman (Ad interim)
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 5 November 1982 – 14 July 1986
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Hans van den Broek
Succeeded by	René van der Linden
State Secretary for Defence
In office 20 January 1978 – 11 September 1981 Serving with Cees van Lent
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Cees van Lent
Succeeded by	Bram Stemerdink Jan van Houwelingen
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 3 June 1986 – 14 July 1986
In office 25 August 1981 – 5 November 1982
In office 8 June 1977 – 20 January 1978
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born	Willem Frederik van Eekelen (1931-02-05)5 February 1931 Utrecht, Netherlands
Died	25 June 2025(2025-06-25) (aged 94) The Hague, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1955)
Residences	The Hague, Netherlands
Alma mater	Utrecht University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Philosophy) Princeton University (A.B.)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · civil servant · Jurist · Political scientist · Researcher · Political consultant · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist · Author
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Army
Years of service	1956–1957 (Conscription) 1957–1961 (Reserve)
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Regiment Huzaren van Boreel
Battles/wars	Cold War

Willem Frederik van Eekelen (born 5 February 1931) was a Dutch politician, diplomat, and political scientist. He passed away on 25 June 2025, at the age of 94. He was known for his long career in government and international affairs.

Wim van Eekelen: A Life in Politics

Wim van Eekelen had a very active career. He served in many important roles. These included being a member of the Dutch Parliament and a government minister. He also worked as a diplomat for his country.

Early Life and Education

Wim van Eekelen went to a special high school called a Gymnasium in Utrecht. He studied there from 1943 to 1949. After that, he went to Utrecht University to study Law. He earned his first law degree in 1951.

He also studied in the United States. He attended Princeton University and graduated in 1952. His main subject was politics. He wrote a paper about the Marshall Plan and its importance for the Netherlands. He then returned to Utrecht University. He earned another law degree in 1954.

Van Eekelen also served in the Royal Netherlands Army. He was a Lieutenant in the cavalry. This was from 1956 to 1957.

Starting a Career in Diplomacy

After his military service, Van Eekelen became a civil servant. He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This started in 1957. He worked as a diplomat in different countries.

He was an Attaché in New Delhi, India, from 1957 to 1960. Then he worked in London, England, until 1964. He also went back to Utrecht University for more studies. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in political science in 1964.

After that, he continued his diplomatic work. He was an Attaché in Accra, Ghana. This was from 1964 to 1966. He then worked with the European Union. He was a senior attaché and later a Consul for the European Economic Community.

His Political Journey

In 1977, Wim van Eekelen was elected. He became a Member of the House of Representatives. This is part of the Dutch Parliament. Later that year, he became a State Secretary for Defence. He held this role until 1981.

He returned to Parliament in 1981. In 1982, he became State Secretary for Foreign Affairs. This is a high-level government position. He served in this role until 1986.

In 1986, he was elected to Parliament again. Soon after, he became the Minister of Defence. He served as Minister until 1988. He resigned from this role due to an issue that occurred when he was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Minister of Defence Wim van Eekelen and Minister of Defence of France André Giraud at the Ministry of Defence on 13 April 1987.

After leaving his minister role, Van Eekelen continued in politics. In 1989, he became the Secretary General of the Western European Union. This was an important international role. He held this position until 1994.

In 1995, he was elected to the Senate. This is the upper house of the Dutch Parliament. He served there until 2003. He chaired several important committees. In 2003, he decided to retire from national politics.

After His Retirement

After 26 years in politics, Wim van Eekelen retired. He stayed active in many areas. He served on the boards of several organizations. These included groups focused on democracy and international relations. He also worked as a diplomat and advocate. He supported democracy, NATO, and European cooperation.

Van Eekelen was known for his skills. He was good at negotiating and helping groups agree. He was the only Dutchman to serve as Secretary General of the Western European Union. He continued to share his thoughts on political matters in his later years.

Decorations

Wim van Eekelen received many honors. These awards recognized his important work.

Honours

Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit	Germany	12 October 1984
	Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	15 September 1986
	Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour	France	17 February 1987
	Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	10 December 1988
	Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	20 November 1994	Elevated from Knight (26 October 1981)
	Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit	Poland	6 May 1998
	Commander of the Order of the Star	Romania	13 June 2018