Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives
In office 30 April 1990 – 30 July 1998
Preceded by
Joris Voorhoeve
Succeeded by
Hans Dijkstal
Minister of Defence
In office 24 September 1988 – 7 November 1989
Prime Minister
Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by
Piet Bukman (ad interim)
Succeeded by
Relus ter Beek
State Secretary for Economic Affairs
In office 5 November 1982 – 14 July 1986
Serving with Piet van Zeil
Prime Minister
Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by
Wim Dik
Succeeded by
Enneüs Heerma
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 14 September 1989 – 21 September 1999
In office 3 June 1986 – 24 September 1988
In office 16 January 1978 – 5 November 1982
Parliamentary group
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born
Frederik Bolkestein
(1933-04-04) 4 April 1933 (age 91) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political party
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (since 1975)
Relatives
Gerrit Bolkestein (grand-father)
Alma mater
University of Amsterdam (BSc, MA) London School of Economics (MSc) Leiden University (LLM)
Occupation
Politician · Energy executive · Nonprofit director · Political commentator · Lobbyist
Website
(in Dutch) Official site
Frederik "Frits" Bolkestein (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈfreːdərɪkfrɪdzˈbɔlkəstɛi̯n]ⓘ;[1] born 4 April 1933) is a Dutch retired politician and energy executive who served as Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 1990 to 1998 and European Commissioner for Internal Market from 1999 until 2004 under Romano Prodi.
Bolkestein worked as a corporate director for Royal Dutch Shell from May 1960 until July 1976 and as a manager for an engineering company in Amsterdam from September 1976 until January 1978. Bolkestein became a member of the House of Representatives shortly after election of 1977 taking office on 16 January 1978 serving as a frontbencher and spokesman for Economic Affairs. After the election of 1982 Bolkestein was appointed as State Secretary for Economic Affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers I taking office on 5 November 1982. After the election of 1986 Bolkestein was not offered a cabinet post in the new cabinet and returned to the House of Representatives on 3 June 1986 serving as a frontbencher and spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International trade. Bolkestein was appointed as Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Lubbers II following a cabinet reshuffle taking office on 24 September 1988. After the election of 1989 Bolkestein again returned to the House of Representatives on 14 September 1989. Shortly after the election, party leader and parliamentary leader Joris Voorhoeve announced he was stepping down and Bolkestein announced his candidacy to succeed and was selected as his successor on 30 April 1990.
For the election of 1994, Bolkestein served as lijsttrekker (top candidate) and following a successful cabinet formation with Labour Leader Wim Kok and fellow Liberal Leader Hans van Mierlo formed the Cabinet Kok I with Bolkestein opting to remain as Parliamentary leader. Bolkestein also served as President of the Liberal International from 15 April 1996 until 18 April 2000. For the election of 1998 Bolkestein again served as lijsttrekker (top candidate) but shortly thereafter announced that he was stepping down on 30 July 1998 but continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a backbencher. In August 1999 Bolkestein was nominated as the next European Commissioner in the Prodi Commission, and was giving the heavy portfolios of Internal Market and Services and Taxation and Customs serving from 16 September 1999 until 22 November 2004.
Frederik "Frits" Bolkestein (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfreːdərɪk frɪdz ˈbɔlkəstɛi̯n] ; born 4 April 1933) is a Dutch retired politician and energy executive...
of the former right-wing European Commissioner for Internal Market FritsBolkestein, it has been popularly referred to by his name. It was seen as an important...
Bolkestein is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: FritsBolkestein (born 1933), Dutch politician and intellectual Gerrit Bolkestein (1871–1956)...
saved, and eventually published in 1947. Bolkestein is the grandfather of prominent market liberal FritsBolkestein. He is buried at Zorgvlied cemetery. Gerrit...
market Patentability of computer-implemented inventions Commissioner FritsBolkestein (Netherlands) served in the Prodi Commission between 1999 and 2004...
conservative-liberal VVD; he later served as parliamentary assistant to party leader FritsBolkestein from 1990 to 1998. He entered the municipal council of Utrecht in 1997...
collaboration with FritsBolkestein, a retired prominent liberal politician. The paper presented the documentation of a ‘pamper day’ to which Bolkestein was treated...
Famous alumni include politicians FritsBolkestein, Els Borst and writer Willem Frederik Hermans. FritsBolkestein Els Borst Manja Croiset Eduard Douwes...
Lord Alderdice, Dutch politician and former European Commissioner FritsBolkestein, German politician Otto Graf Lambsdorff, and Spain's first democratically...
of Justice European Union Commissioners who have attended include: FritsBolkestein (1996, 2003), former European Commissioner Benoît Coeuré (2016), Member...
European Commission to create an investigation, after learning that FritsBolkestein (author of the Directive on services in the internal market) was a...
Jacques Santer Preceded by Raniero Vanni d'Archirafi Succeeded by FritsBolkestein President of Bocconi University In office 6 September 1994 – 1 November...
for myself"). The former leader of the Dutch Liberal Party (VVD), FritsBolkestein, repeatedly referred to economic prospects as "golden showers", unaware...
for Social Affairs and Employment. FritsBolkestein was present during his swearing in. Within his party, Bolkestein's specialization was health care prevention...
Stanlis, Dutch writer Leon de Winter, Islam-expert Reuel Marc Gerecht, FritsBolkestein and Onno Ruding, former finance minister of The Netherlands. In the...
Defence and former European Commissioner for Internal Market & Services FritsBolkestein, former Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Els Borst, state secretary...
Brandt Corstius, sociologist Abram de Swaan, or former EU Commissioner FritsBolkestein. Guest editors have included Willem Frederik Hermans, Karel van het...
and Democracy (VVD) in 2017 after she befriended its former leader, FritsBolkestein. Allegations that she had used their relationship to obtain money,...
mayor of Leuven and former minister of defence and Eurocommissioner FritsBolkestein). The N-VA takes a gradualist approach looking to transfer powers to...
Economy Incumbent Paolo Gentiloni since 1 December 2019 Appointer President of the European Commission Inaugural holder FritsBolkestein Formation 1999...
Rubina Berardo, Member of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic FritsBolkestein, Dutch politician and former EU Commissioner Joe Bossano, Chief Minister...
Lambsdorff President of the Liberal International 1994–1996 Succeeded by FritsBolkestein Party political offices Preceded by Eric Lubbock Liberal Party Chief...
working as member of cabinet of Dutch European Commissioner FritsBolkestein. He was Bolkestein's liaison with the European Parliament, speechwriter and also...
1993. Islam & De Democratie; Een ontmoeting, en collaboration avec FritsBolkestein, Uitgeverij Contact, Amsterdam 1994. Several articles and interviews...
the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market. Commissioner FritsBolkestein (Netherlands) served in the Prodi Commission between 1999 and 2004...
until 24 September 1988 when Member of the House of Representatives FritsBolkestein (VVD), the former State Secretary for Economic Affairs was appointed...
of the board of trustees include Roman Herzog, Leszek Balcerowicz, FritsBolkestein, Udo Di Fabio, Jürgen Stark, Holger Steltzner and Hans Tietmeyer. cep...
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